


Steps

by sendmeademon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Hinted AsaNoya, Hinted DaiSuga, M/M, Not an OiKage story, Relationship Study, hinted kiyoyachi, long fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-06-10 12:46:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6957034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendmeademon/pseuds/sendmeademon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata has an adventurous life. Then he arrives to Italy with his light suitcase and his dad, and suddenly, he has a brother, and a mum, and even an asshole he keeps encountering with? He's not a boy who believes in destiny, but he's going to have to very soon.</p><p>Relationships have to face several situations to find that 'happily ever after', to some people easier than to others. Because, in truth, when will you stop taking steps?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Indifference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who the heck are you? I've been calling for fifteen minutes. Are you deaf or something?"
> 
> "I am not deaf!" Hinata started to pity Oikawa for dealing with such asshole Reluctantly, Hinata stepped back, mumbling, "Come in before I regret it and I shut the door in your face."

Hinata was upset. The desk lamp's light was trembling so insistently, it was severely damaging his nonexistent concentration. Three short flashes, three long ones, three short flashes, again. It was like it was sending an emergency signal in Morse code. He sighed for what seemed the hundredth time, exhaling a mouthful of heavy air, cursing his bad grades that forced him to stay in his room while the day was sunny and warm and _perfect_ ; School, in general, and his lamp, specifically. It sucked. Staring at it, pieces of red paint were peeled off in the handle. It practically screamed, "I'm a hand-me-down!"

Not like his bedroom was known by its newness. The bed's matress was comfortable, as his desk chair, where he spent so many hours, because that wasn't the first summer he had been stuck in his bedroom, trying to study. The shelves were cramped with ripped sneakers and little pieces of old finish lines, and the walls were covered in posters of his most admired athletes. Nevertheless, in the wardrobe's wood, which was fairly big and full of drawers with brass, old handles, there were still remains of stickers from the last owner's idols, even if he had made an effort and tried to brush them off, to turn them into a memory. The rug, rectangular and deep purple, combined just by casuality with his light courtains, nearly transparent and decorated with constellations which used to glow in the dark. The bed's covers weren't as lucky, and they stood out because of their greenish shades and its whirl of strident, skyblue flowers. 

Most of his furniture had belonged to his stepbrother, Oikawa, who was some years older than him. When he was told he wouldn't have to bother about buying them, he had been grateful. He had underestimated his destructive talent, and now he regretted it.

But it could have been worse! He could have had to share a room with him, and that would have been a intolerable scenario. Not that he disliked the guy, not especially, at least, but there were some lines he was determined not to cross. He seriously doubted about Oikawa's shame, or the lack of it, and his ability to be _extremely_ touchy-feely wherever and whenever he wanted, even if he was forced to see Hinata's traumatized face every day, because it had happened once, and he had decided it, 'No way, not anymore'. Yes, he was glad to have his own room, his own space, in a house as crazy as his. 

He loved his dad. A lot. He was the only person he had, after his mother's and baby sister's accidental death when he was still learning how to ride a bike properly, but excusing him would have been ridiculous. He was a man who loved travelling, experimenting, even if that meant paying a large child support to lots of women when he continued flying around the world. He couldn't understand his reasons, but he had always defined himself as a free person, who mustn't be tied down to any place, and he didn't regret any of his attitudes. He walked his son like he was some kind of puppy, and Hinata hadn't been annoyed because he couldn't stay with his friends as much as he wanted or because he missed them; Instead, he had been curious and adventurous, and extremely happy.

Everything had stopped at once with good news. Just as he had been told, his father had encountered an old friend, an Slavic flight attendant who had completely changed her opinion towards him. "She understands me. She knows I need more than what a single person can give me. She's wonderful," he had assured with his caracteristic smile, so sure of himself, holding him with care. "Plus, she has a really nice son..." He had added, as that settled it, feeling satisfied with himself. Hinata had smiled brightly, half excited to meet his new brother, half scared of rejecting the idea. He could lose him. Hinata had always considered their bond as strong, but his father's will could untie them with a violent gust of wind.

Because of that, he had been nice and welcoming when he met the Slavic flight attendant's son, whose smile was exactly the same as his father. He hadn't opened his mouth when he bought a house for the first time, having lived all his life in precarious, rented apartments, neither when they all moved in together. Hinata liked his life with his father, but he wasn't one to complain about sudden changes and a livelier home. Also, it would be cool to have a settled residence and an older brother, right? He would be able to get used to Italy's weather. He would be able to struggle with the language until he fully understood it, instead of knowing some words and expressions. He would be able to go around town, sure that when he returned, his dad wouldn't be waiting for him, suitcases in one hand, plane tickets in the other. It was a nice way to go on. 

In that exact moment, not so much. Oikawa and Hinata shared how noisy they were when they were chilling out, and that would have been great if he hadn't needed to focus on the maths' problems in front of him. The music made every single wall in the house rumble. He closed his book and left it on the desk, breathing slow and deeply. He got up while bringing to his mind the latest technique he had come up with, almost feeling the cold wind against his body, but not even that made him feel better. He opened his door, ready to ask Oikawa nicely to get the volume down, when he heard the slightest sound, a mild chirp, practically drowned in loud screams. He waited a little, and when he noticed Oikawa hadn't listened it, no wonder why, he handled it herself. 

Obviously, it wasn't for Hinata, who had moved in when summer vacation started and didn't even know the guy who sold fruit in the street's corner because of, well, maths. Behind the door, there was a tall and pale boy whose midnight blue eyes were locked in his phone, his housing hundreds of little snakes intertwined. His features made him resemble his favourite book of illustrations' vampire, handsome but quite scary, and he wanted him to open his mouth to see if his canines were round or sharp. Hinata didn't know him at all. Too young to have nothing to do with his dad, so there was the most evident option: another friend of  Oikawa. When he decided to slide his phone inside his jeans' back pocket, he squinted his eyes suspiciously.

"Who the heck are you?" Now it was his turn to be surprised, most of all, because Oikawa's friends weren't so rude, normally. "Thank God. I've been calling Tooru for fifteen minutes. Are you deaf or something?"

"I am not deaf!" He clarified, shaking his head and frowning. What a horrible companion for Oikawa. He started to pity the poor guy for dealing with such asshole, forgetting the loud music for an instant. Reluctantly, he stepped back, mumbling, "Come in before I regret it and I shut the door in your face."

The stranger, who surely hadn't heard Hinata or he would have been dead by the time, grunted and obeyed, his trainers screeching against the wooden floor. They caught Hinata's attention, whose amber eyes widened, looking at the other guy with renewed respect, exclaiming enthusiastically, "Hey, those are sneakers for athletics! Do you run? I do, too! In what discipline? How fast?" 

"110-meter hurdle race," he said automatically, a little taken aback by Hinata's explosion, but he got over it quickly, rising his chin, "Fast enough, that's for sure. I've never seen your face before in any competition, so faster than you, I guess." He was faking to be indifferent, to play it cool, but Hinata could tell there was some spark in his eyes that wasn't there before. 

"You may guess whatever you want, but that doesn't make it true, y'know! I'm damn fast," Hinata snapped, feeling competitivity flowing up and down his body like a revitalizing swirl, even if he couldn't understand why. The other stole glances at him as they walked, checking out the way he moved, as if that could tell how fast he really were by doing so. "What, you don't believe me?" He asked, outraged.

"Not a word," he said as they reached the stairs, looking straight into his eyes, scowling deeply. It was kind of difficult to talk normally there, because Oikawa's room was close. The singer shouted into his ear, and then she suddenly shut up, some calm seconds in the song that allowed him to explain properly. "Why would I believe you? You're tiny, and you must think that makes you agile, but in truth, your stride length must be pretty pathetic with such short legs." 

Hinata closed his fists tight in response, ready to hit him if necessary to defend his honor. The tall guy didn't look as angry as he should have, just honest, and that hurt him the most. He wasn't scared or intimidated of runners with legs as elephant trunks, tall as walls... Okay, perhaps just a little bit. He would fight him anyway. Since when was Oikawa into ill-manered, grumpy people? It hadn't been his bussiness before, but it was starting to affect him and he didn't like it at all. He was ready to asnwer something very clever in the lines of 'Well, at least my legs don't look like spaghetti, you Mount Everest,' but a great noise was heard on the upper floor, and after it, a pair of light feet, and a door covered in photos and a corny, glittery label with its owner's name on it, opened.

Oikawa came into scene, his brown, wavy hair dancing when he walked downstairs. Even dressed simply, in a printed T-shirt and blue shorts, revealing a good part of his golden, well-shaped legs, he was ready to dazzle anyone who happened to pass by. He wasn't a model for nothing. He fitted the dynamic of 'overwhelming, handsome and a true gentleman' pretty well when he was in character, to be honest. He shouted something close to, "I didn't notice, I'm super sorry, Tobio!" and he jumped to skip the last steps right into the boy's arms, who received him with faked resignation. He caught him just on time, missing the floor for centimetres. Oikawa attacked like a cobra without minding his stepbrother looking and cupped the other's face with his graceful hands, spreading his fleshy lips to brush them against the stranger's. 

Looking away inmediately, Hinata ended their meaningless bickering, and he heard a beautiful laughter, from the unknown guy. It escorted him to his room. It was amazing Oikawa had been able to make that scary, serious demon laugh like a normal person. Or maybe it wasn't. He was physically perfect, nice and open, and he had friends all over the city. Plus, he was an excellent volleyball player, and he had the brains to pass everything effortlessly, or so it seemed. And so, he had the whole summer for himself, while Hinata was getting into his bedroom, sighing. 

He opened his book and decided to lie on his bed and turn on the bedside table's light, less powerful, but way more confortable. Some minutes after, the music stopped, and the singer's voice turned into a soft murmur. He looked up, feeling guilty for being grateful to the guy. He had been nice enough to do that, but not to treat him like a normal person. "What's your deal, man," he sighed again, rolling his eyes, before submerging into the book.

He tried. Really hard, he struggled to ignore the sudden, new noises. Soon, music was the least of his problems. His brother was moaning like he was alone in the house, and Hinata thanked to every being on Earth his bed didn't have a headboard. He didn't want to picture what he was already picturing in his mind, the stranger's dark hair being pulled by Oikawa, and his long, long legs around his brother's waist, and his tense mouth opening and breathing fast and geez, no, _no way_.

Everything was too disturbing. So he put his keys in his trousers' back pocket, and he grabbed his bicycle from the garage. It wasn't powdery, since he often used it. When he wanted to stop thinking, working out was the only thing that worked for him. Running until he felt dizzy, pedaling until exhaustion, kicking something so he would go panting to the gym's mat, it was something he was always up to. It was a lovely day, also, without a single cloud in the sky, bright blue, the sun blazing. He remembered to protect his head from a sunstroke with an old cap. It wouldn't be funny to get lost in a neighbourhood he didn't know.

He stopped thinking about the stranger and his stepbrother soon enough. They wouldn't interfere in his day more than they already had. Not a single image of midnight blue, judging eyes to disturb him, no sir! Not like what he had said was important. He knew he was fast, and the other was just afraid of racing against him. Yeah, that had to be it! What a pity, then, because while he would have appreciated to see the guy's disappointed face when he defeated him, Hinata would never, ever, see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey heeey!
> 
> This is gonna be a fic with 8 chapters, which I'll be updating every... Thursday, I guess? It's a weird day to update, but whatever. This chapter is the shortest of them all, which sucks, but I didn't want them to fight with all they have. KageHina are hardcore when they fight.
> 
> I have to explain something, too. This story is located in Italy, so I made the non Japanese people (everyone but Hinata, basically) call each other by their first names casually, and introduce themselves with name + surname, not surname + name. It's very weird and unnecessary but it was weirder to do it otherwise.
> 
> I think that's it? See you the next Thursday, all your kudos, reviews and bookmarks will be welcomed!


	2. Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are stalking me."
> 
> "W-What? No! This is just a coincidence, obviously!"
> 
> "Don't lie. I saw you in my supermarket last week, and you were most certainly looking for someone!" Kageyama seemed very pleased with himself. Hinata felt like shouting and punching him in the face.

Saying goodbye to summer vacation had been easy, mostly because it hadn't been fun at all. No beach, no sun, no running... Hinata had almost cried when he went to check the lists that told them he had passed after all those sleepless nights. Plus, he had fantasized so much about how his classes would be, if his classmates would be as nice and funny as he pictured them, if they would get along and go out and have a good time now that he was able to do so.

The next step was to go to the university and see it for himself. He had been there the very first day, first hour in the morning, to ask for a map. As it turned out, Bologne's university was huge. It had plenty faculties, and so many people. If he wanted to take a class he wasn't signed in, he would get in with no problem. They would never notice! Even someone with good orientation would have gotten lost, washed away by the chatty students, and he definitely didn't know how to follow a map. He made her way towards where he thought was his class and he straightened his T-shirt, wrinkled by all the rubbing. He stepped in, hoping to be right. Drawing looks was the worst part of all, it always made his stomach ache. He sat in a front row, playing absently with the bird in his bracelet. His peers were so inmersed in their own conversations they hadn't seen him, perhaps, but from the corner of his eye, he perceived someone grabbing a bag and walking towards his direction.

"Nice brazalet. Is it an owl?"

He had to restrain himself from jumping out of his chair. Nice people were real! He had been talked to! He tilted his face to gaze his saviour with a thankfukl grin. He was tall, for a second year, with a bashful, tiny voice. His hairstyle was kind of crazy, with a tuft of hair flying over his head. His freckles were small and plentiful, perfect circles on every inch of exposed skin. Hinata decided he liked his smile above all, kind and warm even if it was obvious he was shy. He looked like he didn't mean to upset him, fidgeting in his chair, and his caring attitude filled Hinata with tenderness. He cleared his throat when he noticed he had being staring for too long.

"Thanks!" He said, his smile shining brighter, rising his arms so he could get a better look of the leather brazalet, with the small figure attached to it. "But not really. It is a crow! My dad got it for me, y'know how cheesy parents can be," he answered, but he was rewarded with a shocked face. Oh, well, now he wasn't in Japan anymore. "From where I come from, it's a sign of victory and force!"

He seemed surprised, but not in a bad way. Like it wasn't something weird, but unusual. He laid his head on his palms, opening his eyes even more. "Wow, I didn't know that," he said, nodding slowly. Hinata hoped he hadn't been too strange, but the other was already moving on the subject, "So, err, would you mind if I sat beside you? I moved in summer and I know no one in this class, and I thought, no offense, 'He looks a little lost himself, too!' So, hm, if you don't care and--," but Hinata cut him short.

"Yeah, sure!" He gave him a thumbs up, so relieved he felt like singing in that crowded room, "So where are you from?"

The boy sighed deeply to calm down, but there was a tiny tug in his jittery lips that grew and grew until it turned into a really pleasant smile, not relaxed yet, but a lot more confident. "I'm from Spain, the south of it."

"No wonder why you speak such good Italian, that's cheating," Hinata whined, looking away while he pouted. Just after he saw the boy getting all nervous again, trying to apologize over and over, he spoke again, "I'm from Japan! And I suck at languages although I've been traveling all my life. It's just, so... _Ugaah_!" He added, like it was the worst insult ever, "It's just, I'm reeeally bad at _rōmaji_ , I don't even know how I'm gonna write my exams."

"Japan's so far away," he observed, giving him a concerned look. He looked at the blackboard, and then again at him, with renewed enthusiasm hidden behind another layer of shyness as he mouthed his proposal, "I could teach you. I don't mind."

This time, Hinata totally jumped out of his chair in amazement, his legs shaking with happiness and excitement. Well, he couldn't say no to that! It wasn't like Oikawa was going to help him, neither his dad nor his stepmum. He bowed deeply in front of him, as it was normal for him, and shouted, "Please take me under your care, sir--!! Oh, wait, what's your name again?"

He could hear some people snickering at him, like every time he went out of Japan, so he sat again, just a little flushed. At least, less than the freckled one, who was bright as a traffic light, averting everyone's eyes, his dark ones fixed on the table as he sputtered, "Tadashi Yamaguchi."

"Hinata Shouyou!"

Finally, their teacher walked in. He looked at the clock, that said it was a quarter past nine, fifteen minutes after curfew. He shrugged it off and kept walking towards the stratum, where he left his things calmly and started with his explaination.

Teacher presentations kept going on and on, and they got more and more boring. They didn't catch his attention, not even a little spark of fascination, so he doodled on his notebook and showed it to Yamaguchi. They were told off in their third period, and Hinata decided to pay attention from then on. When the minute hand of the clock reached twelve, another ruckus was created spontaneously. Hinata couldn't wait for it to clear up so they fought their way towards the cafeteria.

They had arranged it on their breaks: Yamaguchi kept saying food there was excelent, and even if Hinata returned home, it would be empty. He could reward herself for a good first day, and his schoolmate was very nice, interested in sports, too. Something like basketball, he had said.

"We're running a little late, but I hope the guys will be saving us a spot."

"Great!" Hinata shouted, "The more, the merrier!"

He walked happily, chatting with him, and followed him when he jumped and raised a hand, waving at some boys seated around a large table. There were at least five more people there, two of them joking loudly and laughing while the other ones simply talked with their heads close, the dark-haired boy of the pair shooting dirty glances at the noisy duo; and one tall guy speaking by the phone with intertwined snakes housing. His features, like a vampire's, brightened when he saw Yamaguchi, but as his eyes focused on him, he gave him a startled look.

Hinata found it impressive, too. How many possibilities there were of finding him again? He didn't even know he went to that university. Mr. Constipated mumbled some racing words, a promise of a meeting, perhaps, and slipped his finger through the screen to end the call.

"So, Shouyou, these are my teammates," Yamaguchi explained, missing the growing tension between the boys, "Those are Daichi and Suga, the shaved one is Ryuu, and the guy over there is Noya, and, oh, yeah! Don't ever call him short or he'll hit you. But I guess you wouldn't do it. And that's Kageyama-- Is something the matter, Tobio?"

Already on his feet, his hands on the table, he leant down and stared hard at Hinata. 'How much weirder can this guy get?' He wondered.

"You _are_ stalking me," Kageyama stated without a hint of doubt, squinting his blue eyes suspiciously.

"W-What? No!" He answered right away, totally confused and outraged at the fact that Kageyama kept glaring at him like he was some kind of creep, "This is just a coincidence, obviously!"

"Don't lie. I saw you in my supermarket last week, and you were most certainly looking for someone!" Crossing his arms and rising his chin, Kageyama seemed very pleased with himself, like his point was undeniable. Hinata felt like shouting and punching him in the face.

"Kageyama, calm down. I'm sure this is a misunderstanding and we can talk it through," said the boy with ash-blond hair, Suga, trying to soothe the mood. It almost worked for him, until he heard Noya whispering, "My money's on the shortie," and his anger arose with it.

"It's a supermarket, asshole! I was looking for _food_ ," he snapped, putting his hands on his hips. By then, half of the cafeteria were looking at them, but he didn't care, "Why would I stalk you anyways?"

It caught Kageyama by surprise, who had to bite his tongue and think of a proper reason from someone to be following him so insistently, ignoring the insult just thrown at him. With his eyes on his food, he talked again, "You saw me in some magazine and you wanted to try if I'm as fast as it said?"

Hinata felt his eyes widening. If his name had been in a magazine, that guy had to be very fast. Not that it mattered. He was, too. "You're so cocky, talking about yourself like you're a big deal, huh?"

"Well, I am, dumbass!" Kageyama's face grew scarlet as he noticed the attention they were drawing. He walked towards him and grabbed Hinata's wrist, who yelped and tried to escape from his grip, "Quit it, idiot! I'm taking you to the athletics track. That way you'll leave me be for once and all."

Was Hinata the only one thinking that sounded too much like a death threat? He shuddered, scared but determined to not showing it, and kept Kageyama's quick pace.

They were being followed by a worried Yamaguchi and his teammates, in different states of concern and excitement. The one called Daichi looked like he wanted to strangle every one of them, but Suga was trying to appease him too, squeezing his hand as they marched. His first day's good luck had faded, and all thanks to that asshole. No way he was going to let him win.

Sooner than later, they arrived, and he had to jump the fence while being dragged by Kageyama. It was a relief when they finally stepped on the track and he let go of him, free to stroke his sore wrists. He shot the tall boy a dirty look, but Kageyama was already preparing himself, stretching a little, and he had to do the same. They stopped at once, and Tanaka volunteered happily to shout the countdown. "It's gonna be a whole lap, no hurdles. Tobio, don't make me lose my money, 'kay?"

At Kageyama's and Hinata's glare, he burst into an histerical laughter. Suga did the last thing Hinata had expected: He grinned at Tanaka devilishly, giggling, and he gazed at him, encouragingly. "No way! Shouyou's gonna crush him for sure." "Yeah, destroy him, man!!" Nishinoya jumped high and gave him a huge smile, nodding along.

Hinata suddenly felt his energy reaching unexpected levels, and he was going to shout back at them, to thank them for their support, but Daichi interrupted him, "Just get it done, Tobio," like it should be an easy task for him to beat someone like him. Somehow, that fired him up even more, and he squatted, preparing himself.

"Alright," Tanaka cried out when they were both ready, and he clapped once, twice, thrice, along with his words, "On your marks, get set, go!!"

Running was easier than breathing. The breeze against his face was pleasant, and the flow of energy was being slowly reduced as he made use of it, easing his restless mind. He was made for this kind of life, seeing everything flying beside him while he moved his legs in a constant, crazy rhythm. 'I'm fast as a tiger, fast as a tiger, really fast,' he kept repeating as he took the curve and changed positions with Kageyama without even looking at him.

But, where was he? They should have met at that point where they changed their roads. Hinata never dared to distract himself while running, however, this time, he looked up.

Slightly ahead of him, Kageyama ran gracefully, with the speed of a cheetah. Hinata wanted to increase his pace, but it was impossible; he was at his peak, struggling to keep up. And Kageyama, that annoying bastard, was winning by the quarter of a metre, just the quarter of it, really. Hinata saw the end goal and tried to speed up, but to no use. There were things even he couldn't do.

There was silence after that, and Hinata and Kageyama stumbled to the floor like puppets without a puppeteer. He could be glad, because Kageyama looked dead tired, lying on the floor and trying to ease his heartbeat or at least breathe regularly. If Hinata had been in conditions to laugh at him, he would have, because it was ridiculous. But he was exhausted, too.

Yamaguchi approached them, followed by Suga, and offered them water, while Noya handed an ecstatic Tanaka his cash. "You did great, Shouyou!"

'But not enough,' he told himself. He didn't want to look at Kageyama and see his arrogant face, but he had to. He wouldn't be impolite, he wouldn't be like him. When he finally did it, he caught the tall boy, more or less recovered, staring at him with open curiosity in his face. It was so genuine, like a child's, it made Hinata's heart waver weirdly. "You _can_ run," and that breathy fact made him feel weirder.

He shrugged and tried to get up, but his legs felt all wobbly, so he had to accept Yamaguchi's helping hand. Kageyama, nonetheless, was back on his feet with no other help than the fence. "I told you, didn't I? You didn't want to believe it," he retorted like it was nothing, like his pride wasn't hurt. Kageyama's eyes were still puzzled, and perhaps a tiny bit admired?

That little spark faded quickly as he shook his head, to clear his mind, and his eartips flushed for being told off, "I haven't seen you before in the races, and-- Duh, whatever."

"So, after all this, I assume you both know each other?" Suga asked, still smiling, amused for some reason.

Before the other could answer, Hinata spoke loudly, "As much as you can know someone having exchanged three words, bad words, and having seen Oikawa's tongue in his throat," he specified, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Kageyama's cheeks reddened furiously, but his gaze was prideful, and Hinata snorted, "You could show a little regret, y'know!"

He seemed so troubled, blush creeping down his long, pale neck, and yet, he pierced Hinata with his dark, dark eyes, like he was nothing more than an annoying bug. "Why would I? I don't feel guilty," he grumbled, his voice low so Tanaka and Noya wouldn't listen and mock him endlessly. He breathed deeply, calming down a little, and he returned to his former attitude, cocky and unbereable, as he mouthed just one word, "Jealous?"

'So that's how it's going to be,' Hinata noticed, 'but you won't take this to your field, I won't let you.' He felt extremely pleased when he saw Kageyama flushing, in a way almost too mischievous. " _Please!_ " He retorted, rolling his eyes, "Oikawa's pretty good-looking and all, but his octopus' mouth doesn't appeal me."

There was a moment where everything quieted down, but Tanaka was the first one to laugh, again, quickly followed by Noya, loud and free, bending to grab their stomachs and patting their thighs.

"You're funny, man!" was Noya's plea, who stepped beside Hinata and threw an arm around his shoulder, "And you put Tobio in his place. I like this one, Tadashi!"

"Noya, you look like someone who want to shoot baskets until his arms drop," Daichi commented, his smile creepy, and the small boy's arm fell off his shoulders and he backed away, sulking in a low voice about being a tyrant and how he didn't need to shoot baskets because he was already great.

Finally, Daichi laid his eyes upon Hinata. He was shorter than Kageyama, but much more commanding. However, in his warm, brown eyes, he saw resignation and deep fondness. "Seems like it's going to be a really long year... Nice to meet you, Shouyou."

And Hinata really hoped it would be a long year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: Andalusian or Murcian Yamaguchi. My sweet, freckled angel saying "acho" or "illo" every two sentences. Yamaguchi in a flamenco dress, or covered in flowers, dancing in the Battle of the Flowers. I pictured that and I couldn't help it!!
> 
> I had lots of trouble again with the names, again. I made it so I would use their surnames in the narration, and their names in the dialogues. However, Suga and Noya are kind of nicknames, so I decided to respect them as much as I could.
> 
> Kageyama and Hinata are sooo dumb when they try to overpass each other. I'd hit them. Also, YamaHina's friendship is so cute! I find them adorable, Yamaguchi is so supportive and Hinata is my sunny child.
> 
> Thanks for your reviews, kudos and bookmarks, guys. See you next Thursday!


	3. Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm winning this competition, Tobio, you better prepare your ass!"
> 
> "You can't compete my ass in a chocolate-eating duel, but you can try."
> 
> "Bring it on, sucker!"
> 
>  
> 
> [ ... ]
> 
>  
> 
> "All of this sucks, and you like chocolate, so..."
> 
> "You bought it to cheer me up!"»

He hadn't been specially interested in moving to Bologne at first, when his father had announced they would establish there for a time he expected would be long, because he didn't think he had any especific motive to be hyped up. His admired athletes came from USA or countries from Africa, not Italy. It was just another city to add to his broad repertory, too small to follow up its name, with bad paves streets because of a strong will to keep their Roman road. A good point was that it had one of the best universities in the world, but so did France, with its prestigious Sorbonne; Oxford, in Great Britain; or Yale, in the United States. What made it so special?

Two months were necessary to be able to answer to his own question firmly. He had been completely naïve, thinking that _la dotta, la grassa e la rossa_  didn't stand out for an specific characteristic. Simply looking up in the alleyway there were amazing and unique things, like its interminable porticoes, from which Hinata said, convinced, that he had never seen so many together; ot its regular, red rooftops, bathing the city with its pleasant and nice light; or its spacious squares. Mainly, they were full with young people in bicycle, running, chatting and laughing, due to the university's proximity and influence. There were plenty of bars and restaurants, mixing statues of uncountable worth and motley buildings. It was a contrast that came to his mind as he walked with his friends toward _Piazza Nettuno_.

If the city had another good thing, that was its expositions, like  _Enologica_ , specialized on wines, or  _Cioccoshow_. Suga hadn't stopped talking about said chocolate festival and its wonders since Halloween had ended, and after watching him cross eagerly days in his calendar for three weeks, and seeing by Noya' mouth water with its mention, enthusiasm had reached Hinata inevitably. His friends had confessed that, when the five-day party had passed, Suga would cook with dedication, inspired by sweets he had seen in the stalls. Judging by their impatient look, his brilliances were definitely worth the wait. Thus, he was expectant. 

"We're almost there, Shouyou," Tanaka informed, who sniffed air like he was some kind of dog. "Do you smell it?"

"I do!" Hinata cried, with his typically happy expression, walking faster than anyone due to his excitement. He tilted his head to shout over his shoulder, "I'm winning this competition, Tobio, you better prepare your ass!" 

"You can´t compete my  _ass_  in a chocolate-eating duel," he shrugged, and looked his nails thoroughly, considering his rival an easy task, "but you can try." 

"Bring it on, sucker!" 

A persecution started just like that, where Hinata was being chased down by an outraged Kageyama. Daichi sighed, because it was always like this, but they all had grown used to their constant fighting. As little as they knew Hinata, they were aware he was rowdy, he moved around all the time, so much it seemed he had consumed a ton of coffee by himself, orbiting around Kageyama as much as the other did, unconsciously. As soon as they were called upon that behaviour, they rushed to deny it, because 'there's no way,' 'they aren't that close,' and 'anyway, stop staring!' 

Hinata kind of disliked how rotund the other sounded when he said that, but he tried to brush it off as normal, friendly disappointment.

They were all used to it. Everyone but Tsukishima, of course. He, who had been missing the first day due to some stuff Hinata wasn't really interested in, had been rude and irritating from the beggining, and he still was. For some reason, Yamaguchi tried to excuse him, saying 'he is too honest, but he doesn't mean bad,' but he was the only one who could endure that blond asshole. And Hinata had thought Kageyama was mean...

Because Kageyama was a separate matter. He was a really interesting guy, and not that annoying, not always. He found quite easy starting a fascinating conversation with him, and behind his 'I'm way better than you' attitude, and how awkward he was, he tried to overcome that, even if most of the times he looked like an insensitive bastard.

Hinata had found him lots of times in the library just out of casuality, until they had arranged a timetable without saying a word, where one looked for the other and felt disappointed if they didn't find their friend. He had lost count of how many afternoons they had wasted, exchanging ideas or just jokes or arguing, or how many dirty looks they had gotten from students who wanted to concentrate and study properly.

It was their world, confined and intimate, just as he shared classes with Yamaguchi or he went out often with Tanaka and Noya, a world that didn't fail to lift his spirits. Although ultimately, it had been changing. Hinata didn't know if he liked the feeling of his lungs playing tennis with his heart inside his toracic box, messing around with his stomach, every time he smiled a little or said his name, but it was a fact.

His mind went blank with the next breath of air, filled of a pure and delicious chocolate smell. Hinata absolutely loved sweets. He wished to have a predator's smell, because his nostrils were uncapable of capting all essences and nuances, but they were there, he could notice: orange's citric scent, coconut's sweetness or dried fruit, surrounding him and calling him from a bunch of crowded stalls. At first, it was overwhelming. There were people everywhere, and he was so spellbound he had been washed away by them. He had lost his friends. How stupid! 

He drove one hand toward his backpocket, where his phone was, but it was intercepted by another, bigger and colder, which touched him briefly to catch his attention. "Such a reckless king, to let you go like this, huh?" Enjoyment was all over Tsukishima's face, and he frowned, saying that he knew there were too many people and that he could skip it. He had to stop himself from smacking him for calling Kageyama names, feeling uneasy until they came back with the group. He didn't want to hurt Yamaguchi's friend. 

They had seen stalls in  _piazza Nettuno_  for a few hours and, with intent of seing even much more wonders and try more exotic flavours, they had gotten to  _piazza Grande_ , Bologne's principal square, with far more people. He got ready to be washed away, and a cold and graceful hand held his, along with a teasing grin, to keep him from getting lost again. That would start to get very personal if Tsukishima kept pushing his luck. His kindness had its limits, and he was stepping on it, despising it. His blood was boiling in his veins.

He released his hand and Hinata opened his mouth, ready to make his red lines clear even in front of Yamaguchi, because who cared, reaching that point, when Kageyama's visage, who had just seen his struggles and his disconfort, turned marble. His eyes weren't warm anymore, but cold and menacing, and they inspired terror. Tsukishima, of course, ignored him, faking confusion with a slight gesture. It was obvious that he had picked Hinata to torment, today.

"Look, look, Shouyou! White chocolate kittens!" Noya screamed as soon as he saw him, with his hazel eyes blazing, moving his hands frantically so he would get near. It wasn't necessary to get on his tiptoes to look across his shoulder and appreciate the masterpiece. It was a family of carved felines, with every perfect hair in its place, and they nuzzled each other to be warm while they slept. It was so real, he would have sworn if he caressed the little one, it would have miaowed at ease. 

"Impressive, huh?" Tsukishima asked as he put his arm on his shoulder in a sinuous movement. 

"Yeah, really," he answered, short, concise and bitter, so unlike him. Hinata got away from him inmediately, upset, keeping a neutral expression. Respecting oter person's personal space was an education's sign, and even if he intruded other people's space a lot, if it was evident they didn't like it, he stopped. Well, Tsukishima didn't know, or he didn't care, because he spent the whole afternoon stuck to him, and so he had to hear every single one of his remarks, the cruel and the mean ones, too. He wanted to think it wasn't intentional, that he truly didn't know how unconfortable he was feeling, but he knew better. After the hundredth time his freezing fingers circled his wrist, it took a great mental effort to avoid grabbing him and spinning around so he would fly very far. He was losing his sanity on giant strides. 

"Release him right away," Kageyama said, angrily, and his voice was colder than the North Pole as he laid a hand on Tsukishima's shoulder, pushing more weight on it than it would be needed. Hinata felt a chill running all over his spine, but the blond hadn't moved at all and simply smiled, glancing at Yamaguchi and Noya, the only remaining ones, who were too busy trying sweets to mind them.

"Why? Does the king want his possession back? So greedy of you, Your Grace," he added, jokingly. It didn't fit his dangerous, golden glare. They kept staring at each other, not saying a word until Kageyama grabbed his left wrist, pulling. 

Hinata didn't like that, and he didn't for a good reason: Tsukishima and Kageyama didn't share that sense of healthy competition that Hinata and Kageyama did. Theirs was rotten and forceful, a subtle fight for power, not so subtle judging on how his arms ached. "Guys, let go, it hurts, it--!" And then he felt a push on his back, strong and dry, enough to free his wrists and to send him flying to the floor, where he landed painfully on his foot. 

Kageyama was beside him as soon as he opened his mouth to whine, checking on his ankle with a worried face. It was swollen badly, and what was worst: When Hinata tried to move his foot, it didn't respond to him. Oh, no, no way. "Noya's house is close, right? Go look for his car," Kageyama ordered in a hurry. Tsukishima looked a tiny bit guilty, and shocked, and as he didn't obey, he shouted again, "Come on!" Finally, Tsukishima turned around and walked towards Yamaguchi and Noya, whose faces became more and more worried. They excused themselves with the promise to 'be right back', and that was all.

Being on the floor didn't make Hinata feel very dignified, but neither did being carried around by Kageyama, Hinata's legs around his waist, his arms around his neck, until they reached a bench and he could finally let go. Kageyama sat beside him, but he couldn't stop moving around his legs nervously, muttering something very insulting about Tsukishima under his breath. He was scowling so deeply, when he unfrowned his brows it was going to hurt.

"You'll get early wrinkles if you keep doing that," Hinata hit that point between Kageyama's eyebrows, massaging it fleetingly. He looked surprised then, but it was better than pissed, he guessed. He softened his face without forcing himself to achieve it, and he saw Kageyama looking for words. There was no need. He knew what he was going to ask. "I'm fine! It's not the end of the world, just this winter race's," he answered before he had articulated his question, being rewarded by a flinch in Kageyama's mouth. "I'm actually upset because it wasn't me who stopped that asshole."

Kageyama stared at him for half of a minute silently, and then, his shoulders shook. His laughter was unexpected, a shocking, nice present. It wasn't loud or very long, but it was there, perhaps caused by how ridiculous Hinata had sounded. When Kageyama laughed, his whole face transformed, he noticed. He was handsome when he looked angry, but a giggly Kageyama was much more relaxed, less stressful to watch, more open, soft even. 

"Yeah, of course you're upset because of that", he affirmed, making his right dimple more visible than his left one while he struggled to recover his straight face. Hinata suddenly wanted to touch it. His nails pierced his skin on his palms to avoid it while he saw his eyes getting lost in a particular stall. After that, he was again on his feet, and he made a vague gesture, "Just a minute."

Nodding, he lost Kageyama's figure in the chock-a-block square, and he stretched his legs as carefully as he could. He was sure his ankle was broken, he felt it, and Kageyama was, too, because he had looked down at him pitifully, far too concerned. He hadn't liked it, but at least, that showed he cared about him, just a little. And that, after being pushed and hurt and having a bad experience with a blond jerk, was nice of him. 

While he waited for his friends to come back, he enjoyed the sweet flavour that was left inside his mouth thanks to all the gifts and samples he had consumed. It hadn't been such a bad afternoon, not at all. He had had fun. He had laughed when, along with their dirty jokes, they had led him to the exact point in  _piazza Nettuno_  were a big discordance could be seen in  _Il Gigante_ , a peculiar thumb from a certain place near the fountain, or very willing nymphs who held their breasts so people would drink from them, and how they had gotten together twice around the fountain against clockwise, so it would help them pass their exams. 

"Why're you smiling?" Kageyama asked, curious, sitting back by Hinata's side. 

"Why aren't you doing it?" Hinata questioned back. 

He raised an eyebrow when he saw what he had in his power. If that wasn't the prettiest rose in the world, he wasn't called Hinata Shouyou. It really was flawless. It had small white chocolate pearls to imitate morning mist on its dark petals and leaves, and its stem was slender and covered with hazelnuts. He held it like it had reached his fingers by pure casuality, and his jaw's shade had paled in tension. Kageyama couldn't be clumsier when he talked. "It sucks that you're going to miss the winter race, and you like chocolate, so..."

"You bought it to cheer me up!" Hinata completed his statement, smiling so widely his cheeks, slightly flushed, were hurting a little. Kageyama tried to deny it, of course, but he spoke up again, "But it's a pity to eat it! It's so beautiful. I want a picture!" 

Hinata jumped until their hips were touching, even if Kageyama shouted that he shouldn't because he'd hurt his foot, but he was too far to care as he grabbed his phone and unblocked it. Hinata had noticed earlier, he had beautiful fingers, elegant, like a pianist's. He raised an arm hesitantly to place it around his shoulders, and Hinata would have sworn he couldn't feel its weight. Was he even touching him? Awkward. He didn't know what to do with his left hands, so he picked the rose's stem in its lower part, brushing Kageyama's hand with his, and shot him an apologetic look. "It's freezing, huh?" 

"Yes," Kageyama answered, swallowing a nervous, little laugh, and at the same time, a lump in his throat, "Tsukishima better come back quick or I'll kick his ass." 

Afterwards, when Hinata saw the photo, his first thought was that the cold hadn't been so intense to have caused such blush in their cheeks.


	4. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So! Have you brought Tooru with you? You seem to be the older brother!" Noya pointed a bar's far part. His brother swayed the rhythm with his hips, fully confident.
> 
> Hinata laughed out loud, and he was going to answer, when Oikawa sat on the bar and leaned forward, interlacing his fingers on an unimpressed Kageyama' nape. They chatted fast and close, lips almost brushing, and Kageyama shook his head sometimes, making Oikawa's pout needier. He kissed Kageyama, and Hinata decided he didn't want to see anything else.

 

In any kind of relationship, the easiest way was not to get too commited, doing just enough, playing hide-and-seek with your own feelings, like his dad with his partners. He gave just what he wanted, he grabbed what he knew he would like, not bothering in getting to know the other person to its full extent. He was an expert when it came to lack of implication, like every living thing in that house, except Hinata. He couldn't do it, his heart was too big, his affections too passionate. But he hadn't seen his dad for a long month because he was on a bussiness trip in Holland, and he didn't care that much. Why? Because, if he thought about it, he would notice how sad he was, and he would sense his absence. There was no need to hurt himself so freely, and thus, he closed sadness' eyes. If he didn't see it, that bitter feeling wouldn't be able to see him either. 

Plus, lately there hadn't been a lot of ways to be busy. Winter had come to Bologne irrevocably, leaving its first snowfall that hadn't settled down on the floor. There were university holidays, and for everyone that meant stress due to the upcoming exams or familiar dinners, but for someone whose only family was trapped in far-away trips even on Christmas, that was a problem less. He felt somewhat alone, because his friends weren't in his same position. Yamaguchi and Kageyama were so busy buying presents or preparing meals they had been unreachable, so his option would have been Tanaka or Nishinoya, who didn't have the best relationship with their parents, or even Suga and Daichi, but they also had lots of things to do, as they attended to every meal together. 

With his ankle almost healed, but unable to do any sports, he had lots of time to think. He was really happy there. House's situation was good, but that didn't mean his dad wouldn't be tempted to run away again and forcing him to do so with him. And, if he did, would he tag along? Until when would he be able to join him and leave everything behind? 'For what purpose?' He asked himself, wrinkling his notes' corner because of the used force, 'To take care of the house and see him once a month?' It affected him more that he was pleased to admit. He piled up his sheets messily and left them on the desk. On the desk, his phone vibrated.

**From:**  Suga   
 **To:**  Shouyou

_How's everything going? Do your ears hurt? Because Tobio has been talking about you 24/7. He misses you, but don't tell him I said that!! Irish at 10? :)_

Suga couldn't help to be sweet and an all-knowing demon even when he comunicated through messages. Hinata squeezed the device tightly when he read his third sentence, that could have been put there so he wouldn't refuse or to be truthful. One way or another, it was very embarrasing! Was it so obvious that he, perhaps, was interested in him? That would be awful. He responded quickly. 

**From:**  Shouyou   
 **To:**  Suga   
 _  
I'm sure he's been insulting me in my back, that asshole... But yeah, sure, see you there!!_

It was just eight o'clock, but he started moving. He wasn't an expert chef, but due to his dad's and stepmother's long absences he had been pushed to turn into a training cook. He had to thank lots of his achievements to Internet and Oikawa, when he happened to be around, who had helped him to cook a _frittate_  that didn't resemble a chaotic bunch of eggs and burnt vegetables.

Oddly enough, his stepbrother had been all day indoors, relaxing in the living room's sofa, without any photographic session in sight, nor a date. As soon as he smelt food, his head stuck through the door, smiling when he saw Hinata had prepared enough for him. It was always the same. In exchange, he had to wash the dishes. Even with his arms soapy and his hair messy he was flawless, and he moved his hips along with the radio's music. The round clock on the wall said it was twenty past nine, but Oikawa wanted to talk. 

"Are you going somewhere special tonight? I haven't decided yet," he sighed, like it was the month's biggest drama. Hinata guessed he had too many invitations, and picking one would be difficult. He kept rubbing the pan's surface. "Normally I went to Transilvania, but it's closed, and it's such a pity! You don't know how guys like that vamp stuff. Kyoutani gets super turned on, and Tobio..."

"I'm going to the Irish pub near  _piazza Re Enzo!_ " Hinata interrupted him, without feeling like hearing his own brother talking about what Kageyama liked or not in bed. He prefered to avoid the fact that they had had sex. Would they still keep doing it? Anyway, it wasn't his bussiness. 

"To the Irish pub... Nice idea, Shouyou!" He dried his hands with the closest cloth and picked his phone from the kitchen's table. His fingers were almost invisible, as he texted so fast, and he selected some chats to send it. Once he had finished, he looked at his reflection on the fridge. "Well... What are you putting on?" 

"Some jeans and a nice jumper," he shrugged. He didn't have too much party clothes. He considered if it would be weird to put on the same clothes as ever in New Year's Eve. "Anyway, the coat will cover it! It's freezing outside."

Oikawa's hand covered his mouth, hiding his horror, and he rolled his eyes. He shouldn't have acted so care-free about clothes around him, but now, he couldn't regret it. There came the inescapable... "I'll lend you something! I'm sure I have some small things. I was short once, too, you know!"

His brother had so many suits that his bedroom resembled a boutique, and some of them seemed too expensive to be in a young boy's closet, gifts after a fashion show. All of them were masterpieces. Perhaps that was exactly the problem. He felt strange with something so elaborate on his skin, like he was trying too hard. He said 'no' so many times the word lost its meaning until they reached one that fit him and wasn't too elegant. Make-up was a rougher point. Even if he said it only enhanced his features, he didn't want to put it on because it'd be a huge burden, unlike how Oikawa thought. 

Oikawa threw a coat over his shoulders, making him promise he would leave it in the coathanger the moment he got in the bar, and he would not forget about it. After that, he grabbed his arm when he was finally ready, like the initial plan had been going with him from the beggining. Oikawa's friends would crowd. Santa Claus had impersonated in Hinata that night, bringing the pub's owners good money. Streets were alight and Christmas charols and drunken's chants could be heard all over. It wasn't quite an harmonious tune. Dark silhouettes against light courtains revealed families around their chimney's fire. If he hadn't been so eager to see his friends, he would have turned around and put two more pairs of socks. 

Suga's light and unruly hair hadn't given its owner a moment of peace even in that special day, and Hinata was glad, because he was a recognizable and sure meeting point. He looked around while chatting lively with a tall girl whose indigo dress made her resemble an ice queen, and a little one, blond and fidgeting, but smiling nevertheless. Tooru greeted them briefly before getting lost among people who got in and out the pub to join his friends. Suga hugged him tight and Daichi patted his back, introducing the girls.

"Tanaka's my neighbour, and my mother doesn't trust him too much, so she told me to keep an eye on him..." Kiyoko pointed with her head towards a guy with strange, blond and black hairstyle, laughing deeply, who had his arm around Tanaka's shoulders, the two of them visibly drunk already. He started to sing, and his voice was so pleasant it hid how horrible the shaved one's was. Kiyoko shook her head, disappointed, and her long, dark braid danced with the movement. "She was so right." 

"Could be worse," said Suga, a peacemaker above all, raising his hands to defend his friend. "At least he's not puking, right?" 

"That's not what worries me..." Kiyoko grumbled, biting her lower lip. She was worried and she didn't like to show it. Yachi slid her hand into hers, and she seemed to relax a little more. "I don't want to dress him up and drag him home from  _Due Torri_  again." 

"Hey." 

Hearing that greeting on his back, Hinata's intervention was fastly forgotten. He was going to turn around and see before any other his circumpstances' face, but he was already there, beside him. Kageyama handled Daichi's reprimand, hand on his nape, and he greeted Yachi and Kiyoko before they sprinted towards Tanaka and his companion, who atempted to protagonize some disaster if they weren't stopped. 

Then, he tilted his head in his direction. Hinata had been thinking for some time Kageyama was gorgeous, or more than that, attractive as hell, but leaving aside those times when they ran together, in the same rhythm, he had never seemed as charming as then, eyes full of light, mouth slightly open, between an admiration whistle and a deep breathing. Hinata wasn't interested in photography, but he would have given half of his collection of finish lines to capture that instant. 

"I didn't think you would, well..." He pointed him in a broad hand gesture. 

Hinata saw Suga poke him mockingly between his ribs, and so he became conscious that they weren't alone. He cleared his throath before ending his sentence. "Dress up this much? Tooru's. I thought it was obvious with this coat. Too posh!" 

A good dose of effort was needed to avoid blushing while Kageyama looked at him every now and then. He felt, suddenly, very hot for that cold, cold night. 

"Tooru is here?" Kageyama asked, somehow sounding pleased. 

Why did he care so much about the question? Kageyama was his friend. Although he knew what he felt when he patted his back to congratulate him or when he smiled just faintly, unconciously, wasn't friendship at all. So what held him from pushing his limits? His dad wouldn't stop to telling him he had to live big, he had to have fun and do everything he wanted. Why not, then? "Yes. The suit is his, too. Do you want to see it better?" 

He gave himself a mental pat on the back, because his voice hadn't trembled. Not too much, at least. Kageyama leaned gently towards him, following an impulse, and sighed and nodded, all at once. He looked at the door, crowded, and he offered him his hand, very slowly. "It's crowded there, and the only thing you're good at is getting lost, dumbass." 

Hinata would have recovered some normality sense if Kageyama's cheeks hadn't been so red. He felt more thankful than ever to Suga, who drove the conversation through safe places, going around the dance floor until they found an empty table. They hadn't sat yet when someone approached them to greet Daichi. The girl's teeth shimmered like pearls, and she had a flower crown decorating her hair.

"I didn't know you were dating someone, Tobio," said Michimiya, like the brown-haired girl had said she was called, gazing significately at their interlaced fingers. Hinata hadn't noticed he had to release him, and when he did, he saw Kageyama shaking furiously his head. 

"That's because we're not!" Kageyama shouted, his head kept shaking. 

Suga had to push his back, in the bar's direction, and he mouthed happily, "Same as usual!" ending successfully the conversation. Hinata nodded along, like he knew perfectly what the usual was. He opened and closed his hand rhythmically, without being able to reproduce exactly Kageyama's warmth on it. It was like being tickled: oneself couldn't be surprised, but other person would make him laugh like there was no tomorrow.

Suga and Daichi kept talking to his friend, so he remained silent until he saw a bright sparkle, like lightning, a golden tuft of hair, who entered the local, followed close by a huge guy. He informed his friend he was going to meet Noya and handed out many pushes to reach the bar. 

Nishinoya greeted him with two kisses on his cheeks and introduced him to Asahi,a former part of the basketball team. According to Noya, it was nearly impossible to hang out with him due to his job's shift, so that was why they hadn't met yet. He had described him like 'a big, bearded baby'. Taking a closer look, he wasn't as impressive as from afar, with his shaky hands and his nervous eyes. 

"Don't worry, Asahi! You look gorgeous," Noya reassured him, smoothing the wrinkles of his suit fondly and looking at him in the eye, in his intense, Noya-like way, "But don't think I'm going to forget that you owe me a dance," he teased Asahi, whose cheeks grew red, and bit his lip. Poor boy. 

"So! Have you brought Tooru with you? You seem to be the older brother!" Noya pointed a bar's far part. His brother swayed the rhythm with his hips in a rather unstable equilibrium on top of the bar, but fully confident. He was able to do it: Below him, there were lots of people who danced around him, eager to catch him in case he fell. 

Hinata laughed out loud, and he was going to answer, when Oikawa sat on the bar and leaned forward, interlacing his fingers on an unimpressed Kageyama' nape, who pushed him away a little by the shoulders as he smirked. Did his smile seem forced, or was it just a wishful thinking?

 

They chatted fast and close, lips almost brushing, and Kageyama shook his head sometimes, making Oikawa's pout needier. He kissed Kageyama, and Hinata decided he didn't want to see anything else. He said goodbye to Asahi and Nishinoya and joined the dancing crowd, who reeked of alcohol and fun. 

Dancing was way easier than it seemed from outside of the dance floor. Anyone could jump and move their arms and hips with the music, but a good majority where truly struggling due to the percentage of alcohol in their blood. Hinata, fresh and awake like never before in his life, closed his eyes and let the chords get into his ears. He didn't want to think about him. He didn't want to think. His mind was a mess. 

Before he noticed what he was doing, he grabbed the hand of a guy resting against the wall, who played with his glass looking out of place, and he smiled at him, encouraging him to dance together. He didn't care about his looks or his name, neither his dance moves. It took him two songs to shrug, a whatever implied in it, and to start to dance way worse than any drunk guy on the floor. They laughed together, because they were truly ridiculous, and Hinata thought his laughter was far nicer than Kageyama's, lighter, less teasing... But less happy, too. 

Bells rang to indicate New Year, and the whole pub shuddered with kisses and hugs. He thanked the boy for the dance with a uninhibited smile, and he returned to their table and trusted that Suga and Daichi wouldn't have moved much from there. They hadn't. Hinata greeted them. Suga's cheeks were blushed by the alcohol and he danced a little, holding Daichi's hands. 

"Tobio has been looking for you!" Suga cried over the noise. 

"He can wait a little more!" He said, accepting a transparent drink Suga was giving him and feeling it burn as it went down his throat. He grimaced, wrinkling his nose and pushing the glass away.

"Shouyou!" 

Kageyama couldn't be more timely. Hinata turned around and raised his chin, ready to confront him. Kageyama's expresion was nervous but well-meant and excited, which was rare, and it darkened inmediately, which made him feel guilty. He approached him and talked to his ear, and his voice made Hinata shiver. "Can we talk?" 

He grabbed his coat from the coathanger and they went out, to the cool breeze, which was welcomed after the pub's heat. They walked together in silence, knowing exactly where they wanted to go.  _Piazza Maggiore_ was crowded too, but the square was bigger, and its broadness granted them some tranquility and intimacy. Hinata breathed deeply, repeating that he didn't have to be nervous, because jelousy was childish and unfair to his friend. If Oikawa was the one he liked, then so be it. 

"It's... Such a relief to move without getting punched, isn't it?" Kageyama asked, awkward, even moving around his arms. Hinata nodded and murmured something like, 'Yeah, it's cool.' He didn't know what else to add. Kageyama bit his lip. "Look, I know what you've seen, but it's not what you think. We're not going out."

 

He nodded again, staring hard at his eyes. The words were bubbling inside him, but Hinata couldn't voice them without sounding like a jerk. They remained another minute in silence, until Kageyama's hand went through his hair in a frustrated way, ruffling it. "Are you going to keep quiet all night or what?" 

"It's just," Hinata sighed, his lips a sad line, resigned, "I have nothing to say. It's not like you owe me an explaination," he noted, leaning against the wall and his gaze getting lost in the stars. Bologne's lights were so intense they had turned invisible. That made him feel lonelier. "You mustn't worry about what other people think about you. You told me that, didn't you?" 

Kageyama's shoulders went down. "Yeah, but I..." He was disappointed, but what was he expecting? A jealous' scene? Some revelation? No way in hell. Hinata wasn't going to confess and risk his friendship over this tiny thing, over Oikawa kissing him. More than than, he wouldn't let Oikawa decide when or how he confessed, in case he ever did. 

After some minutes, Hinata pushed forward to get away from the wall and get around him. "I think I'm gonna go now..." He wanted to go home and get some sleep, stop thinking just for a second. He headed for the nearest bus stop, with Kageyama following him closely, in silence. The guy was so awkward... He sat in the bench and swung his legs, feeling midnight blue eyes on him. Beside Hinata, Kageyama was playing with his fingers, extremely nervous, like he wanted to say something else. The bus appeared in the distance, and he got up. 

"Shouyou!" 

"What?" 

"You didn't look awful on that suit, not that much," Kageyama sputtered, low and shaky, but determined, "or, well, you _look_ , you're still dressed, of course, so..." 

Hinata tightened his fists inside the coat's pockets and sank his head in its hairy neck, so he wouldn't notice so easily his ear-to-ear smile. It was a weird situation and he wasn't pleased, but Kageyama was still himself, and he kept liking him very much, whether he wanted it or not. The bus stopped in front of him so Hinata acted following an impulse, surrounding Kageyama's tall figure in a hug. Then, he ran upstairs, getting comfortable in his seat. On the other side of the glass, Kageyama and Hinata exchanged looks, shy but confidant, and he rolled his eyes. 

Hinata was happy, after all.


	5. Euphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata had never felt so attracted to someone before. He noticed that last second when Kageyama's hands lingered on his for a time longer than usual, wishing much more. He would have wished he would put his arms around Hinata's waist and didn't pull away until he was fully satisfied. He would have wanted him to smile at him with his awful, adorable smile more often, and mumble some foolishness in his ear, so he could swipe his shoulder and kiss him without regretting it. He felt like a supernova exploded in his stomach every time Kageyama looked at him.

 

Being in the limbo was uncomfortable. They were just playing hide-and-seek. Hinata went to see Kageyama run almost everyday. They walked together, nuzzled under the blankets, being the cold their poor excuse, and above all, they talked. They couldn't stop talking, even if they were mostly bickering. One of the reasons why he liked Kageyama so much was because he was able to surprise him with a new point of view about anything, a new perspective. 

Both seemed like very different people: Hinata was more willing to explore, to go out, to move, to be included in the community, while Kageyama was more interested in working and working until he was the absolute best, in living for running and little things else. Their goal, however, wasn't so different: Success.

He had never felt so attracted to someone before. He noticed that last second when Kageyama's hands lingered on his for a time longer than usual, wishing much more. He would have wished he would put his arms around Hinata's waist and didn't pull away until he was fully satisfied. He would have wanted him to smile at him with his awful, adorable smile more often, and mumble some foolishness in his ear, so he could swipe his shoulder and kiss him without regretting it. He felt like a supernova exploded in his stomach every time Kageyama looked at him. 

Yamaguchi and the guys in his team kept making up excuses to leave them alone, repetitive and absurd. Hinata looked at his phone with laughter stuck in his throat and his face scarlet when some message of theirs came in _. 'I have to take care of my young brother. Go and have fun!'_ or _'Tobio has been looking at the clock every two seconds. Perhaps he's eager to hang out with you? ;)'_  were the most common, and they were so embarrassing.

The day has been sunny right from the start, and light casted shadow constellations and a slight fluorescence on his bedroom's floor. He was glad, because the sun helped him study. He rushed out when he noticed the time. He had an exam in an hour, so he had better hurry. Not even the unusual presence of his dad in the kitchen slowed him down. Oikawa, like he had been doing since New Year's Eve, pouted childishly at  him from the living room's sofa. He had the impression his brother was jealous because he thought Hinata had stolen away something that was his. He couldn't be more wrong, but if he liked to be mad, Hinata wouldn't take that away from him. They wished him luck, but he wasn't there to hear it.

Some time later, handing his sheets to the teacher, he thanked Yamaguchi over and over in his mind. Exams had been okay. He left his friend checking confidently his answers, tapping his chin with his pen. They had been studying all week around together. It was their last exam and they had encouraged each other with the possibility of maybe reaching freedom with their fingertips.

One who hadn't had much time was Kageyama, but for a different reason. His last exam had been four days ago, which had left him with few time to train full time for the race. The athletics was very alive in Bologne's university, and it moved lots of people. They had a high level of competitivity, and the races were great opportunities to catch some sponsors' eye. It sucked that Hinata, with his ankle still healing, couldn't have gotten in. Also, Kageyama had been so stressed, it had been two weeks since they didn't see each other.

There were around a dozen runners that stretched, jogged or sprinted like lightning. None of them talked with any students, who pushed each others against the fence. They didn't get near, neither greeted them. They looked what was before them, the next obstacle to jump, the next metres to run, their faces carved in marble. There was some elegance in the way their legs covered the distance effortlessly, tracing practical lines, without an unnecessary movement.

Hinata was so focused, Yamaguchi had to bump a little against his shoulder to get him out of the clouds where he was running side by side with Kageyama. He landed in a place filled with excited or depressing conversations, and he couldn't care less, because his friend showed a grin from ear to ear and he jumped on his tiptoes like he had just been told that his application form for that hospital clowns' group had been approved. He hugged him painfully tight, and his chesnut eyes flared more than ever.

"Easiest exam in all times!" He chirped like a robin. He let him go and leant on the track's fence, moving his head to an unknown rhythm. "How's Tobio doing?"

"He seems okay, I think," Hinata answered, recovering his position and defending his space. If they wanted to see, they should have been there earlier. "You've seen him before, how is he?"

They heard the whistle that called the runners and warned them to do their last preparations and, at last, they seemed to get out of their trance and they looked around. Kageyama spotted them in no time. His face lit up and he waved his hand cooly. He almost tripped on an obstacle.

"Nervous. But it has nothing to do with the race," Yamaguchi said, holding a giggle with his hand.

Kageyama turned round and he saw him pinching his arm, shaking his head. Then, he placed correctly his dorsal and he crouched over his position. His lips moved without stopping, chanting and mumbling. When he asked Yamaguchi about it, he explained that Kageyama might have seemed collected, but he had quite a lot of habits before running, like scratching the floor according to a determinate rhythm or remembering the reasons he wanted to win for. They must have been hundreds because he didn't stop his mumble until more than a six judges got on their places, checking the runners' positions. 

"Ready!", shouted one of them through a megaphone. Competitors bent over and put their hands on the floor. "Steady!" They moved at once, lifting just a little their body, so they would be ready to run, and "Go!"

The shot was deafening and it made Hinata close his eyes and frown, upset. When he opened them again, some of the fences in the first row were laying on the floor and the runners jumped over the second row following their own paces. There were ten rows and, with each heartbeat, Kageyama went over one of them. Hinata's heart sped up, excited, just like him, who runned effortlessly, followed by a small guy with really fast legs. Hinata could have been that boy. 

Kageyama didn't notice, perhaps he didn't care, and flought over the last fence bending forward, smirking. It wasn't necessary for the judges to comment on it: He had been the fastest of them. The crowd roared and a round of applause expanded like fire on gasoline. Yamaguchi was out of his body, ecstatic when he saw his mark. Shouyou had to double-check to believe it. The guy was a leopard.

He had expected to see Kageyama euphoric, jumping and shouting, throwing his fists in the air, stretching his muscles after another round of applause, bowing even, grinning at the public in his own charming way; Nevertheless, he kept jogging towards Hinata and Yamaguchi, slower but steady, and it alarmed him a bit. Had he turned on a water bottle or a towel in his imagination? Was there someone behind him? He glanced over his shoulder, but he couldn't recognize the tall girl, who showed her bad mood. 

Suddenly, the steps stopped in front of Hinata, and flaming hands held his face firmly while the small redhead remembered everything he could have done to make Kageyama want to kill him. Like after the shot, his eyes blinked because of the impression. When he opened them again, Kageyama's lips were already on his.

Yes, he had fantasized about that, more or less, but he wasn't mentally prepared. For that reason, his open mouth made the kiss messy, a little tense and brief. He felt the midnight blue in Kageyama's eyes on him, like he was scolding him, challenging him. Hinata, with fast reflexes, grabbed his slightly sweaty, gross T-shirt with both hands and he pulled him closer again. He smiled under Kageyama's lips. He heard someone laughing, but he couldn't care less. Right then, with a supernova exploding and revitalizing his body, he only heard his own fast breathing. He discovered a small mole on Kageyama's right dimple. Aware of how close he was to the boy, he chose that moment to move away.

"That was so... Uh... What the heck was that?" Hinata asked, still gripping Kageyama's T-shirt, tapping the floor with his trainers' tip.

"I promised I'd," Kageyama was embarrased, and his body trembled due to the intense activity. He gestured vaguely with his hands, to emphasize more. "I'd do it when I won! You have something to say against it, dumbass?"

"Yes! Or, well! No," he corrected himself after seeing Kageyama's hurt expression, because he wasn't bothered by the kiss, "What if I don't?" He asked, frowning, leaning on his tiptoes again, "What if I like--"

  
"No! Don't say it. Not here, dumbass," Kageyama hissed, and it made Hinata want to laugh and cry at the same time. God, how dumb could he be? He shook his head and brushed it off. He was too happy to care.   
Sliding his arms around his neck, he intertwined his fingers, brushing his nape mindlessly. This time they approached slow and solemnly, and Hinata opened his mouth, caressing softly his lips. "If you stay still, your muscles will get cold, idiot."  


"Cold? I don't think so," Kageyama assured him, and Hinata could have melted with the floor in that instant. His legs trembled with renewed energy, and he kissed him again, deeply, until they run out of breath. Hinata noticed his own lack of experience, but with Kageyama, anything was a piece of cake for him. He whispered a soft, "Come on, go and have a shower already, you creep," and the taller boy released him, ruffling his hair in a way that pretended to be painful. Hinata stuck out his tongue. 

"Wait for me in the tree, 'kay? Don't think about running away or I'll crush you," he threatened him, but it didn't sound menacing anymore, and Hinata laughed.

He felt like a great weight had flought off his shoulders. He leaned on the fence, watching him run towards his peers, who greeted him with pats on his back, though they had lost. It was very noble of them. Beside him, he heard an amused, teasing voice clearing his throat.

"Well! Finally, right?"

The weight that had been released fell on him again when he saw Yamaguchi, smirking ironically and happily at the same time. Against his will, Hinata's ears, cheeks and neck blushed fiercely, and he avoided a direct confrontation, gazing Kageyama, who was talking with the rest of the runners. He was in an excellent mood, and he was glad he had contributed to it.

"Sorry! I forgot you were here, Yams, I don't know, I'm, uh, very sorry," he apologized, embarrassed yet honest, and his friend chuckled. "Guess I have to go. Will I see you later, though?"

"I'm going to  _Trattoria Gianni_ with Tsukki and the team. They are so slow that you may have arrived and we'll be still in line," he whined, frowning, and his stomach roared. Yamaguchi recovered his smile, and he pushed Hinata towards the library. "Good luck!"

"Thank you, Tadashi. Really!"

The tree was a huge oak next to the library. Once they had stopped studying, they would always go there to talk until it was dinner time without dirty looks from students who attempted to study. He leant against the trunk, setting a pace with his heel. He felt like moving, like running away as fast as he could now that he could think again. He grabbed a low branch and, placing his foot on a little hole in the tree, he flexed his arms to seat on top ot it. He swung his pale legs, protected slightly by the leaves, rubbing a hand against the other. Had cold worsened, or was it his impression?

"Are you a monkey to climb trees like that, dumbass?"

He knew that tone, mocking and playful, so it didn't sound offensive at all. On the contrary, it was like he was praising him. Hinata couldn't explain it. Kageyama climbed as easily as him, without showing any fatigue, at least in his arms. When he sat beside him, he could tell his legs trembled.

"You're the one to talk, you just did the same!"

It was a game, challenging and answering. He said those words with a slight push, weak enough so he wouldn't be unbalanced. Kageyama, instead of receiving his bump like he would normally have done, opened his arms. Hinata's body impacted on his in an undelicate way. He pushed him closer, so his back was resting on his chest. That way, it was easier to talk about embarrasing things, but Hinata could feel his body burning. Kageyama's body was still as a stick.

"What's wrong? It's just me," Hinata said, half jokingly, half reassuring him, leaning his head on his shoulder to look at him.

"That's part of the problem, idiot. It's _you_ ," Kageyama answered, a bit less tense.

  
"Hey!" Hinata whined, a bit offended by his words, and crossed his arms, " I'd have to be the one complaining here. You've screwed my  _brother_. Do you even know how awkward it is?" He remarked, pouting. "And anyway, I don't know why you've been, uhm, interested in both, we're so different!"

"Tooru is gorgeous. That's his only charm," Kageyama stated, simply, like he was used to having to defend him in his way. Hinata felt Kageyama's lips on his scalp, hesitant, but it wasn't enough. "You have others."

"So you like me because I can run?" He wondered, doubtfully, rising his head again to look at him in the eye. Kageyama sank his head between his shoulders while he talked.

"You should know why, didn't you claim you were 'damn smart' that time you scored like, what, 78 points in that maths exam?" Hinata had to admit he had said that, but bringing back old things he had said would have been cheating, if there had been any rules in that game."And, hey, I could ask you the same thing! Why do you like me?"

'Because you are interesting and funny, and the best asshole I've ever met,' he could have said. He didn't mince his words often. Voice never got stuck in his throat. He hated that. And, at the same time, he wanted to open up like nothing else. Stupid feelings. He bent his torso to look at Kageyama, frowning, pointing at him accusingly for playing dirty.  He just moved his legs, that hung off the branch, and his arms, wrapped loosely around Hinata's waist, waiting for him to talk. Kageyama'a flushed, expectant face was adorable, and it helped him not to stutter his words.

"I guess you'll have to stay and figure it out yourself!"

That was his veredict, completely serious yet his playful grin, with a hand on Kageyama's thigh. His blush didn't make Hinata less able to intimidate him. He was recovering little by little, but it looked like Kageyama didn't want that, or he didn't care. He grabbed his hand almost forcefully and placed it on his chest, on his heart. He looked like a cat watching a mouse, and Hinata was willing to be hunted. He leaned forward, their faces separated by mere centimetres.

"I'll do it."

"How do I know you'll keep that?" He doubted for the hundredth time.

Kageyama drew with his finger a cross over his heart, slowly, looking straight into his eyes, and Hinata hated that he knew how to win him over so easily. His expression had never seemed so sincere.

"I wouldn't lie to you."

And his lips tasted like shared victory.


	6. Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata's hand wandered over Kageyama's body and it caressed dangerously low on his back, and they stared at each other. Hinata's funny and scandalous laughter could be heard, and it made Kageyama vibrate, literally. Hinata had intended to scold him for surprising him, but he couldn't do it. He was too happy.

 

Hinata's happiness was notorious. Suga said that he had always radiated a strong, cheerful aura, but then he was almost eccstatic, every day waking up happier than the last. Even his dad had praised him, without knowing what was going on and not caring about it, and also his step mother, with distant smiles while they went and came back from their trips. His absence hurt less each passing day. Had he resigned, or had he accepted it in a healthy way? He thought it was the second option.

The only one who wasn't congratulating him was Oikawa. He could see smoke getting out of his ears each time Kageyama went to pick him up, and Oikawa's lower lip would tremble, like he was about to cry. Hinata was sick of his unuseful tricks to make Kageyama feel bad. It wasn't even due to sadness, it was pure possessiveness, and he couldn't help him with that. He didn't belong to Hinata, much less to his step brother, who, according with Kageyama's version, had meant nothing to him. He, like every other person, belonged to himself, and did whatever he felt like. 

His finals were in May and it was the first week, but that didn't keep him from seeing his friends and taking little breaks. Now that his ankle was healed and ready, he ran everyday, hardly enduring Bologne's heat. The bad thing about finals was that his friends were all very busy, mostly Yamaguchi, Daichi and Suga, who were very serious about their studies. Thus, they had been calling each other sometimes, both of them sad and eager to see each other, and they had promised to meet when they were finally free. He missed them very much. 

That afternoon, Kageyama had said that he didn't have to bother about anything, that he would make him enjoy himself, so he just had to wait patiently in his house, and he was doing just so. He squeezed until the last minute to review his lessons, just like Yamaguchi had begged him to do because he didn't want Hinata to fail. 

He had his laptop on his crossed legs, and soft music playing right in his ears, so he was surprised when some weight made his covers sink. Kageyama had to raise his own leg to stop Hinata's startled leg from kicking his stomach, and he intercepted his body, guiding it so he would sit on top of him with a fluent movement. His hand wandered over his body and it caressed dangerously low on his back, and they stared at each other. 

Hinata's funny and scandalous laughter could be heard, and it made Kageyama vibrate, literally. Hinata had intended to scold him for surprising him, but he couldn't do it. He was too happy. Just then, a loud  _thump_ startled him. His portable had fallen on the rug.

"Oh no!" He shouted.

He turned around so he would see his portable, and he got off Kageyama's lap to lift it carefully. It had been closed with the impact, and the headphones weren't connected anymore, but there didn't seem to be another exterior problems. Hinata opened it solemnly, biting his lip. He didn't want to have a broken computer. He had all his notes stored there, and they were neat, and... The music started to flow again, and he sighed, relieved. He glanced angrily at the guilty one, who shrugged, giving him a 'it's not broken, nothing to apologize for' attitude. He patted beside him on the bed, telling him to come back, and Hinata did, throwing his arms around his neck.

"I haven't seen you in weeks and the first thing you do is try to break my computer," Hinata whined, pecking his cheek and squeezing him, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said, turning his head to kiss his lips, getting comfortable with his arms around him.  It wasn't too hot yet, so it wasn't suffocating to be that close. "But you're as annoying as ever, dumbass."

He stuck out his tongue and Kageyama leaned to bite it and teach him a lesson, and Hinata grinned as he pulled him closer and placed his lips on his again, hungry and fierce. Kageyama was built out of nuances. He could be funny or annoying, or cool or even sensual, and those contrasts still intimidated him a little. Hinata wanted to climb again on top of him, but the fact that he had his laptop on his lap was a warning cry. However, he didn't want to stop. Hinata could be kissing and caressing his neck all day, sinking his nails on Kageyama's shoulders to hold his voice, and the fact that Kageyama had said he had put his hands on something cool for that afternoon disappeared form his brain. 

It hadn't disappeared in Kageyama's, who pulled away casually, faking normal breaths. He arched a perfect brow. "I had promised you something good, don't you want to know?" 

"I thought this was it," Hinata mumbled, pouting, his eyes still unfocused with desire. They were amber again when he sat straight again, pressing his legs together and grabbing the laptop to hide his frustrated arousal. Kageyama inserted a CD. Three seconds later, Hinata could see where was he going.

"No way! This is so old, where did you find it?" 

'Running through History,' he read from the screen. "There are lots of things in eBay. Wanna see it or not?" Hinata nodded with fervour and pressed the arrow to watch the film.

When the image turned to credits, two hours later, Kageyama raised his chin, expectant, while Hinata chattered about his favourite parts of the film. He continued doing so as he got the portable from his lap, taking his sweet time to get up and place it safely on the desk. He approached the surface to close some programs and turn it off, leaning forward, and he heard Kageyama's deep, low groan under his back.

"Are you doing it on purpose?"

"Kind of," Hinata admitted, smirking, still looking at the computer.

His midnight blue eyes blazed, amused, and Hinata felt him getting up and getting closer just with one long step. Kageyama placed his hands on his hips, his thumbs describing lazy circles on them, and he turned Hinata around. He was ready to jump and interlace his legs around his waist, laughing, just as much as Kageyama's arms were eager to hold him close and carry him. Hinata could feel his heart beating fast, his rapid breathing, his tension...  _Everything._  

They stared, daring each other to let their guard down and, breaking his record, Kageyama was the first to fall and close a hand over Hinata's nape, pulling him closer as determined as a hunter. He felt him, persistent, between his thighs, in his stomach's swirl, which sang for him. Hinata smiled under her lips and got away, just enough to whisper:

"Eager, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Kageyama said in an instant, returning to his mouth.

He walked backwards until he reached the bed, and he sat on it. Hinata let out a soft moan when a familiar and hard tightness pressed against his leg. He placed his hands under his T-shirt and bit his lips, pushing Kageyama to fall on his back. His lips sank deeper on his skin. Hinata could taste his blood and he licked it off shamelessly, while he rolled his hips against his. Kageyama was paralized when Hinata opened his eyes, his mouth open. He kissed his left dimple before he let his lips wander down his neck and getting lower, taking away mumbles and moans from the deepest part of Kageyama's throat. They had to pull back so he could remove his shirt, and Hinata's hands flought on their own to reach his trousers' button, sliding it open with a single movement, feeling Kageyama's hands everywhere. Hinata closed his eyes. He was just too  _good_...

"I'm gonna..."

"Come? Already? You're so weak, little brother."

Oikawa almost made Hinata fall off his bed for the second time in the afternoon. He was leaning on the door frame since who-knew-when, because Hinata didn't want to think about it, and he seemed fairly satisfied with herself. That was so over the line. He got up, crossing his arms, without bothering to put on his lacking clothes. Kageyama fastened his trousers and grabbed his T-shirt from the floor. He was on a bad mood. 

"What the fuck do you want, Tooru?" He asked, frustrated for the second time. For Hinata, even cross, his boyfriend was attractive as hell.

"Congratulate you!" That was a response Hinata didn't expect. He gazed Kageyama in confussion, which turned to suspicion when he saw panic growing on the other's face. His hands trembled, like he wanted to put them on the annoying boy's mouth to shut him up. Oikawa ignored it and kept chirping like a robin. "It's been so long since we saw each other, and I couldn't do it in the race, when they told you... But you don't draw a sponsor's attention all days, you know!" 

Hinata's eyes were huge, and he turned around to face Kageyama, who kept holding a tense, yet defeated posture. What? He didn't understand a single thing. And he didn't like when he didn't understand something that seemed so important. That must have been great news, so why hadn't Kageyama told him about it? "So tell me, where are you going to? I guess you'll leave on summer, right? For a long while. Who knows if you will come back anyway, you'll have a solid life there, huh? What a pity, Shouyou!"

But it didn't sound like he pitied him, and while he was still processing the information, Oikawa said goodbye with a happy, "I'll leave you alone to screw, then!" Hinata wanted to kill him, but above all, he wanted some explainations. The bedroom's door shut closed and he leaned on the wood, heart in his hand. Kageyama was staring at the floor, and he pressed his lips together. Lips he had been kissing minutes ago.

"So?" Hinata asked, after an uncomfortable silence.

"Shouyou," he started, voice broken and endlessly devastated. Hinata would have felt compassion if certainty wasn't already making him open his eyes. Kageyama's were still fixated on the purple rug. "It's complicated."

"Then explain, I'm not that dumb," he demanded, unsympathetic. He could still tell how Kageyama's smell, something like lemon and mint, surrounded his body, but it was fading too soon. Soon, the air was just frozen tension.

"The day of the race, a man came to see me to the changing room," Kageyama said, stopping to doubt. This time he stared at him, a heart-breaking stare. Hinata forced himself to be strong and hold that urge to withdraw his accusations, to forgive him, anything he had done. "He said I had potential and that he wanted me to compete with guys from other universities to get a patronage. I didn't tell you because... It wasn't sure at all, and I didn't want to disappoint you. But I won on March, and by then, I had been lying to you too much time."

"So you solved it with more lies, insted of telling me! And that same day you told me you would never lie to me," Hinata remembered, pale knucles, confused brain. Kageyama had really gotten a patronage. A way to compete on a higher level, a chance to go out there, to the real world where he belonged. It was what he had always wanted, what they had always wanted _._

'When I break the finish tape,' Kageyama had said once, eyes filled with shooting stars,'I feel invincible.' Now, they looked tired and a little annoyed. "Well, I'm not saying it was a good decision."

"And I had to know this by Tooru!" Hinata exclaimed, revealing what bugged him the most.

"You don't know how much I hatehim. He's so jealous of you. I have never seen him so obsessed with someone, and we dated for a while," he mumbled, closing his hands in fists. His voice was pure venom, and it poured off his bed, poisoning Hinata's heart. Did he hate Oikawa? No way.

"You shouldn't. He's been honest to me, unlike a certain someone," he disagreed, sincerely. He couldn't hate Oikawa. He had opened his eyes. Even if it was a difficult process, even if Hinata felt disappointment radiating from every cell of his being, he couldn't blame his brother. "You told me you had nothing with him. I think our 'nothing _'_ concepts are  _very_  different!"

"Well, it was an open relationship!" Kageyama shouted, looking down again to avoid his eyes, which were piercing arrows. His look was guilty and wet, but it was starting to lose sadness and gain anger. It was too easy to feel frustrated in that kind of situation.

Hinata stepped forward. "You think that doesn't count as something?! You're not stupid, Tobio, though you're a total  _jerk_." The knot in his throat became tighter. Hinata felt titanium walls building up around his chest and they were imprisoning him. And, suddenly, his wrath exploaded. "You are just like my father. You take what you want, erase what you're not interested in, and you think that's love, because you keep your freedom that way. Well, you know what? It's not! I would've supported you. We would've thought of something, because I  _love_  you. But I'll never, ever, be with someone who lies to me!"

He opened the door without stopping to stare at him, categorical, and he held it. He felt like he was melting, and he wanted to shout and hit things. Hinata wanted to be irrational. Yeah, why not? But he knew he wasn't going to feel better if he made Kageyama feel bad. It was enough to stand his shoulders tremble and his cheeks wet by silent tears he dried at once, getting up and facing towards Hinata.

"Let's just break up, then," he said, as dignified as possible, resting straight as tall as he was, and Hinata, concious that every word would be extremely painful, made the crucial gesture. He nodded and stepped away from the door, watching him get nearer. Kageyama stopped beside him and looked into his eyes, which mimicked his devastation. "I..."

He went through the door hiccuping to himself, not saying anything else, and he slammed the front door shut strongly. Hinata just remained still in his place, between the wardrobe and the bed they were undoing together, feeling emptier than sad. He was lacking something, a feeling he could caress with his fingertips, a person to touch and to feel and to smile, and at the same time, he lacked something undefined, not contrete. Like fluorescent remnant, he saw the places Kageyama had touched: the portable's keyboard, his bedsheets, all of his almost naked body marked with fingerprints. 

He looked at his reflection on the mirror, staring at his lips. They shone more intently. He said something in his mind, loud and cruel, rash like reality. Then, he repeated it. Not happy at all, he said it out loud, full of reproaching and desdain to himself. Even Oikawa could hear clearly, from his room on the upper floor, his step brother's screams and his rhythmical andenergetic bumps against the punching bag in the basement. 

"The liar's print!"


	7. Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Shouyou. You like promises, right?"
> 
> "I like people who keep their promises," he corrected him, so bitter he didn't recognize his own voice, narrowing his eyes suspectfully.
> 
> "If I keep it until the end, would you consider forgiving me? Could you do that?" He asked, fast and overwhelming, and shrugged quickly. "You don't trust me. You don't think I'll do it, so it's okay if you just say yes."
> 
> Hinata cursed himself when he muttered:
> 
> "I guess I could."

Hinata hated routine. He felt his days were being wasted, reduced to nothing. However, falling into a routine helped him not to think too much, because everything was scheduled. Getting up at seven, having breakfast, studying and running. Eating at one, studying, having dinner at eight. Another run, showering, going to sleep at one. Repeating, getting up every day just by pure will, without varying not even a minute the strict timetable. The only alteration was the subject he was studying, in which he focused, and he did his best in. That put him in a complete state of boredom... But it was better than being hurt. Without any doubt. Two plus two are four, and Hinata felt gradually better.

Then, his mobile phone vibrated with a message from Yamaguchi, and that calmness broke. All came down.

He had seen him just once since... Kageyama. He had been avoiding his friends for a whole week, giving them excuses more and more evident, until Yamaguchi had entered his room uninvited, his face contracted in a sad frown. But Yamaguchi had nothing to do with it, why was he suffering? Hinata had hugged him and caressed his back until his crying stopped, and he had sworn to be strong enough. With a huge effort, he had whispered, "It's okay, this kind of things happen, Yams, don't cry." His freckled friend was shaking from head to toe, and he held Hinata like he had lost his balance.

"I'm so sorry, Shouyou. I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry!"

Being near Yamaguchi was painful. His gestures and sentences reminded him of Kageyama and the good days they had spent together, and why Yamaguchi was apologizing if the one who should do that was his former boyfriend? His emotions were revolutioned, unruly, they stepped on each other like they had before. But the world didn't end for anyone. Sun kept rising, weather kept getting hotter and hotter according to the season. There were people being born, and other people dying. Couples were formed and others broke up every minute. Hinata had been unfortunate to belong to the last group, but, what could he do? Did he even want to do something about it?

He had said goodbye to Yamaguchi with a warning: he needed more distance and time to think, even if that was really hard for both of them. Yamaguchi made a weird face. Not even Hinata believed in what he was saying, but he had to do something to calm his friend down. Hinata repeated so many times "No, no, we're still friends" and "Don't worry, I'm great," that sentences lost their sense. Once he shut the door closed, he ignored his problems and returned to the routine.

His exams were a total success, for Hinata's level. He gazed towards the red ink of the eights and sevens, greatly satisfied. Oh, yes. That made him feel good. That emptiness sensation? Nothing important! Emptiness was so stupid. That didn't fit his plans at all. Which did fit them was running away, as fast as he could. The Australian National University had accepted his transfer, and Oceania was a continent he had never been to. He hoped it was different enough to make him forget when he got used to it.

He had decided it just after he saw Yamaguchi. Friends tied him down to a determinate place, they disminished his options and his possibilities to improve, to make an effort for what he wanted, which was running professionally. Hinata had considered seriously to establish in Bologne permanently. How had he been such a fool? Had Kageyama even doubted on accepting the opportunity of his dreams? No, because he shouldn't. He hadn't shared it with Hinata, but that was another separated issue. Plus, he wouldn't be on his level. It had been the saddest conversation he had had with his friend, whose sunny, freckled cheeks had turned pale like a full moon.

And, again, lots of tears. Hinata didn't get his guard down. Yamaguchi could still convince him to stay, he had that quiet magnetism and that subtle manipulation power, but he had respected his decision, covering his face with his hands and seeming smaller than Hinata, almost a child. He had held him tightly, drowning his nose on unruly brown hair and making him lean his head on his shoulder, which was awkward and weird because Yamaguchi was much taller than him. It had been very hard to resist and finally he told him about his flight and destination, but he had remarked he didn't want any farewell. He didn't want to get on the plane with tears stuck on his throat.

He had booked for the nearest possible. Even if it was the first week of June, he didn't want to spend another day in Bologne. Hinata knew that, if he did, he would regret it. He would forgive Kageyama and he would be the one going to the airport and saying goodbye to him, white handkerchief and drama present, and he would be left behind.

That wasn't a film. People didn't have to change for anyone, love hurt and it had an uncertain expiration date. There weren't happy endings for every story, nor a person for each lonely person. That was reality, where without constant effort, dedication and sacrifices, relationships grew weak and died. And Hinata was quite tired to make efforts.

His dad had applauded his decision, just as he had predicted. He should be thinking he was following his steps to be independent, a true traveller, and interested. Maybe he was. Maybe he had turned him into it. As soon as he had had a misunderstanding that he might have solutioned with a little talking, perhaps, he had thought the best thing to do was to run away, to disappear, to bury his memories. The similarities between him and his dad made him shiver. He was fucked, and all due to some few people and the influence they had had on his life. It was truly scary.

He arrived at the airport with time to spare for wandering around and despair. His flight wasn't even on the left screen, there were more than three hours left, until the gates were opened. It was an infructuous waiting after checking in half-empty suitcases. He would buy more clothes that matched the Australian weather. He took a walk because he felt restless, keeping himself relatively busy in the waiting room before he had to pass through metals' control. Then, he decided the best thing to do would be getting out his portable and connecting the headphones to watch a film.

He closed it when he reached the credits, and steadied on his seat. It was twelve o'clock in the morning, a more decent hour for planes, and people were getting in and out, hurried or not, with better or worse expression on their faces. There were lots of kinds: Tall, black, blond. Short, tan, old. Pale, redhead, young. Cars through the glass walls were different models, too, from more innovating automobile to old junk. After a while, every one of them were more or less familiar to him In a selective glance, his mind decided to focus on one, particularily familiar. Where had he seen that car? He didn't recognize the number plate. Its windows were tinted and it didn't have many years. Also, it was really clean. He had seen it somewhere else, even if it had been briefly.

It spun out at the building's door, ignoring the taxis. The door opened, and the first thing he saw were a pair of trainers he knew very well. Kageyama got off, leaning forward to tell something to the pilot, with his characteristic black hair and a tuft of gold, and then he spinned around to get in like a shot and look for Hinata. They made visual contact while he squeezed his bag's strip and played with his wristwatch. The taller boy, far from being scared, got closer without losing time.

"Now what?" Hinata asked to himself, getting up from his seat. He was very tired of that story. He only wanted to be happy, and for the sake of that, he had to go away. Was it so difficult to do?

"So it's true. You're leaving," Kageyama comented, unintelligently, recovering his breath and trying to see a little of sympathy in Hinata, yet his face didn't change. Kageyama looked like he had decided to come suddenly, desperately. Hinata couldn't say he wasn't moved, at least a little. He changed his weight from one foot to the other. He had seen him nervous lots of times before, but not like that. It made him feel unsure. "I have to tell you something. It's important. I'm sorry, and--"

"Tobio... Don't make this harder," he pleaded, stepping away from him a little, his shoulders rigid. Hinata shut his eyes tight, so his words would flow easily. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm not going to hell! I'll be great, and I hope you'll be, too." He felt like he had to confort Kageyama and his voice had turned softer, but it went rough when he noticed. "Simply, we won't be together anymore."

"That's exactly my problem," he mumbled to his T-shirt's neck, biting his lip until it lost its pink colour and it went pale. When he released it to answer, filled of determination, Hinata thought he had seen a drop of blood. "Shouyou. You like promises, right?"

"I like people who keep their promises," he corrected him, so bitter he didn't recognize his own voice, narrowing his eyes suspectfully. He didn't know what he pretended to do, neither why he had relaxed so much. A trap? But Kageyama was too dumb for that.

"If I keep it until the end, would you consider forgiving me? Could you do that?" He asked, fast and overwhelming, leaning on his trainers' tips like he was over him, one step ahead, like it had always been. He recovered his position and shrugged quickly. "You don't trust me. You don't think I'll do it, so it's okay if you just say yes."

Hinata felt like he had been guided to his playground subtly. Had he had everything planned since the beggining? Had he been faking despair and confussion? Kageyama was an good liar, for what he knew. He could have done that without him noticing at all. He weighed the possibilities at lightning speed. A last risk? For him? He stared at him, deep in thought. Confident midnight blue eyes which held a secret. After all, Kageyama had been his friend, and he was still unforgettable. Hinata cursed himself when he muttered:

"I guess I could."

Kageyama's face lit up and he did the most unexpected thing: He stepped towards him, hugging him. Hinata could have avoided it, and he could definitely have made it shorter. He embraced his small body for some minutes. He felt his hands caressing his orange curls or nuzzling against his neck, in a way too out of character to believe. "Okay, this is more than enough," he warned himself when his own hands grabbed the boy's T-shirt, leaning his forehead on his chest. He was going to miss him so much that, even interlaced until the point that he didn't know where Kageyama started and he finished, his absence already hurt.

"We'll meet again. I promise."

He felt a shiver down his spine when he felt his longing, his determination. "Australia, is it worth it?" His defenses were starting to fail miserably. He lifted his head and looked at him in the eye. He saw too many memories. The way he had blushed when he had grabbed his hand in front of the team for the first time. The way his body vibrated when they talked about something running. The way he would smile under his lips when he kissed his pouty mouth and murmured that he loved him, that he had never felt that way for anyone before. The way he was looking at him, like there was no more world than Hinata. "No." It took all of Hinata's will to say that, and he repeated it when he saw Kageyama approaching. He doubted, and finally stepped back.

"This doesn't change a thing," he reminded him, like a teacher would do to a naughty student, and he shook his head. What had he supposed. He loved Kageyama way too much to be near him. He would feel guilty if he forgave him, but guiltier if he didn't do it. Running away was much easier.

He looked over the clock on the waiting room. He was running late already. He hesitated when he saw his deer's look. "Keep it and we'll see." He sounded much more determined than he felt when he balled his fists.  _Please, keep it, please..._

He'd always fall for him. Oh, he hated that annoying, scary guy. He turned over without saying goodbye and walked towards the metals' control, finally. He had caught the glimpse of a hopeful grin, and he wanted to stop hurting himself that way. The supernova in his stomach was a dark hole, and he wanted to swear that the tears in his eyes were due to an inexistent dust in the neat airport. He put the sports bag and sandals on his tray, hiding his face when he listened:

"I'll do it, and you'll have to forgive me, Shouyou! Just wait and see!"

He didn't turn around or seem to notice, but his pale cheeks grew redder and redder, smiling just a tiny bit at the challenge. His cherry shade made the workers smile at each other, half resigned, half moved, and one of them asked him if the boy the guard had just scolded for shouting was his boyfriend. He shook his head violently, grabbed his things and walked away in a steady pace, without looking back.

That was exactly what he was avoiding. If he had been able to bear touching him once more, he would have punched him. Hard. Sadly for him, if he did, Kageyama would take this opportunity to make him feel confused, and extremely guilty for leaving.

Once he got into the next waiting room, doubts came back to invade his mind, even if he tried to supress them to the deepest part of his brain. He had so many questions. Why had Kageyama promised him that so suddenly? It seemed too ambiguous to leave him so relaxed. He had looked like he had found hope somewhere. Had everything been fake? Had Nishinoya helped him to lie to his face? He didn't think he'd do something so petty, but he didn't know him that much, after all. And, if he hadn't been lying, what? Shouyou couldn't guess it, and it was frustrating.

Given the fact that he wasn't been successful with such trail of thought, his mind turned around in another direction on its own, equally uncomfortable, if not more than the former. He was a old, broken record that repeated again and again the experiences he had lived in Bologne, displaying especially the good ones. There were a bunch of them. Afternoons bathed by Italian breeze. Fresh evenings tangled in the sheets of his bed. Unruly, ash hair. Freckles like constellations. Scandalous laughter, small, big hands grabbing their stomachs, or surrounding him, patting his back, reassuring him, filling him with tenderness.

Then, there was a dry sound, an "It's complicated," and all that surrounded him were tears and apologies and more apologies and more tears that confused his brain and called for his. Hinata looked down to go unnoticed, and that way, tears fell on their own, without having to blink. He felt powerless and he simply let them wet his cheeks, covered by his hands.

"Are you okay, child?"

Great. It wasn't pathetic enough to be mistaken for a child, he had to be consoled by a worker from the airport, too. His life had reached another lever. He shook his head and followed the rest of the passangers to the plane, ready to have the worst flight of his life.

And it was, without any doubt. Not making any stops was crazy. So this was how birds felt everyday? Hinata was dizzy and tired and cross. Food wasn't especially bad, but it wasn't especially good, either, and so were the seats in the tourist class. He spent half of the trip sleeping, not caring about the time difference of nine hours. He had some months to get used to it. He could change his timetable and become a night owl if he wanted to.

Nevertheless, dreams weren't much better than reality itself. As he couldn't focus on a thing, he woke up from the most fragmented and weird dream in his life and looked through the window, ignoring the loud music slipping out of the headphones of the girl who travelled beside him, already tanned, her arms covered in brazalets. Hinata hoped the clouds helped him to clear his mind. They didn't.

Night was colder than what he had expected. Of course, winter was already starting there. He trembled under his thin t-shirt, cursing the day the first liar had been born, and he grabbed his suitcases. People didn't get in his way when they saw his expression, perhaps because they were afraid they'd make him cry. Nobody tried to steal his taxi, but he didn't know if that was for fear or politeness. He gave the direction and connected his own music, not feeling like talking much.

Fortunately, his apartament was near. Hinata had trusted in an online transfer to get his money across the miles. When he thought about it, it was still scary. He liked the Internet as much as anyone, but he knew too many stories than had gone wrong. He had done it because the feeling of, 'Whatever, what could be worse now,' had been stronger than his strenght.

He paid the taxi driver and assured him he could carry his own suitcases without any help despite his short stature. They were light, anyway. He had to stop to talk to the landlord. The good thing about it was that the tedious voice of the man made him sleepy. He nodded at his demands, 'no pets or children or barbacues,' and he went upstairs until the sencond floor.

Everything looked like the pictures in the web page. No problems at sight. There were three doors in that landing, and he decided he wanted to know the neighbour who had considered that a doormat with the sentence, 'Beware the cat,' was a good idea. In the other, black and brown, a plain 'Welcome' could be read. The plants in the landing, green plastic without further doubt, were insulting. Didn't the landlord have enough money to afford a real plant? However, there was one tiny plant, almost hidden, and Hinata leaned in...

"Don't!"

The boy, who carried lots of bags of groceries, looked worried, so he straightened, getting away from the plant. He had black strands in his silver hair, or was it backwards? His grass green tank top made his tanned skin shine in the poorly lit landing. He was nodding endlessly, and a wooden earring he had swung with his movements. If he hadn't been so sad, it would have amused him.

"It's a little something _carnivourous_ I've planted, but, shh," he gestured fiercely taking a finger to his mouth, trying to be quiet, but he started to laugh loudly right after. "I'm Koutarou Bokuto, I live in the attic. I throw parties every once in a while, do you like parties? You look like someone who would! I'll go look for you then," he arranged, leaving Hinata mute.

Wow, such energy! He thought he liked it. Yeah, he definitely liked it. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hinata Shouyou, and--" A door opened in his landing, and a pale boy with black hair and dark eyes directed his eyes at the taller boy, his face completely straight, "Please, Koutarou, stop making a ruckus."

Bokuto's face lit up when he saw the boy, with a smile stretched across his face, and he chirped, "Hey Keiji! You're still coming for dinner, right?" He nodded silently, still monotonous, and Bokuto shouted, "Great, I'll make your favourite dish!" and turned around, rushing upstairs, just to remember about Hinata a second later. "Oh, right, and welcome to the building, man!"

The tiniest giggle escaped from his neighbour's mouth, and he closed his door right after that without sparing a word for Hinata, so he was left alone to look for his keys. There were bad people everywhere, but also nice people. He had nothing to fear. He could get used to Bokuto's optimistic grin and his cheerful shouts.

The apartament was okay. It was impersonal, walls in pale shades contrasting with simple and dark furniture. He had everything he needed, from a practical kitchen with low shelves to a fully equiped bathroom and a small living room. He left his suitcases by the bed, smaller than his own but a lot more comfortable, and he leaned his chin on the palm of his hand, looking at his reflection on the glass doors of the wardrobe.

He was there. He was free, at last. He smiled to the perspective of something going along the lines he had anticipated, but his reflection noticed how forced his smile was, and it distorted it. His eyes weren't amber anymore, they were hard, cold Tiger eye. A quarter of the window was open in the mirror, too. For once, the colours he saw didn't bring him bad memories. The stars followed another order, and also the seasons, and the people. With his face in his hands, Hinata cried until the apartament, half empty, half abandoned, matched the feelings inside his chest.


	8. Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You promised," Hinata said, muffled against Kageyama's chest.
> 
> They held each other desperately, grabbing fistfuls of cloth, skin or hair, and once the spell that had petrified them both fell, the 'I'm sorry' and 'I've missed you so much' and 'Never again' fell by their own weight. Hundreds of new promises flought by, bonds like red strings around their fingers. 
> 
> When the tears came to an end, a little, quirky smile grin tugged up the corners of Hinata's mouth, "And now, what?"
> 
> "I don't know."

It was a sunny day from June, bright yet a bit chilly, when Hinata had decided he couldn't go on like he had been doing. Being trapped between four walls like a caged animal just wasn't for someone like him. Also, he didn't have anyone to hide from anymore. Literally, no one. So he did what a civilized and polite person would have done when they arrived to a new place: He wandered around the building, introducing himself to his few neighbours.

With laughter stuck in his throat, he faced the last door he hadn't knocked yet, which belonged to the 2C flat, the one with the funny doormat. 'Beware the cat,' it said. A chuckle escaped from his lips, unable to contain it anymore, as his fist impacted energetically against the door's surface. To his surprise, it opened on its own with a quiet noise. It had looked closed to Hinata, but he had been wrong.

When the sun was up in the sky, he had already met most of them. He had knocked on Bokuto's door in the attic, just to find it empty. A tall boy, so huge it should have been illegal, with light hair that reminded him of Suga's and sharp, feline eyes, lived in the 1C. He seemed cool and funny, and he had been very nice to him, unlike the man with bleached blond hair in the apartament 1A, who barely had said 'Hello, don't be a bother' to him when he was closing his door again. The landlord lived in the flat 1B, so he returned to his landing.

He knew who lived in the 2B, the dark-haired boy with delicate figures and bored expression. However, they hadn't been properly introduced, so Hinata knocked on the door with a cheerful rhythm. He heard someone loud whining behind the door, and something like a bunch of elephants storming off to open the door. Was that the bored boy?

"Hey, hey, heeey!" Okay, definitely not him. Bokuto held the door with his hair messier than he had seen it. His golden eyes were a mix of poorly hidden annoyance and a tiny bit of embarrasment. "Do you mind coming back later, Shouyou? Lil' busy here, I'm sure you understand," he sputtered in a hurry, and Hinata could have guessed what was going on even without the blush in his neighbour's cheeks, "See ya, pal!"

And now, how was in front of an open door, waiting. In that kind of situation, what should he do? It wasn't his house, but if the flat's door was open, that meant the owners were probably in trouble, right? Or perhaps they had left without looking back and with no time to close it? One way or another, he'd like to help. "Is someone home? Guys?" Hinata asked aloud, repeatedly, hesitant about walking into the house or not.

There was a weird sound, though, like an open tap, Hinata noticed after being there for a while, listening closely. It was faint but constant. Hinata walked in quickly, so worried he didn't remove his shoes, and followed where the sound had come from. He was just coming in to close it and then he'd go and close the door like any good neighbour would have done. The bathroom was the furthest place of the house, next to the living room, same as his apartament, so it was easy to find. What wasn't easy was not to scream when he saw _him_.

A small man was tangled with the bath's courtains in a way where moving on his own was totally impossible. Who had thought that courtains with holes were a good idea for a bathroom? Hinata could see his arm and one of his legs poking out, stuck in the courtains, and he was fully clothed. Everything was so strange. And he hadn't made a single noise. Oh, no. Could it be that he was...

"Tetsu? Careful, the floor's wet," a lazy, low voice faded Hinata's fantasies. So he was alive. Thank God! He was so relieved he could have cried. "Help me, maybe?" The boy added, slower, and his tone made Hinata anxious, like he was examining him from behind the courtains, noticing he was an stranger.

"Not Tetsu, sorry! It's Hinata Shouyou, your neighbour. I was introducing myself and I saw the door open and I shouted and," he stopped right in front of the bath, narrowing his eyes in confusion to the courtains. "Wait, I shouted! Didn't you hear me?"

Silence fell over Hinata, who wondered if he had said something out of place. The tangled boy fidgeted, which was hard given his uncomfortable posture, standing but half sitting against the wall, inside a bath filled with water and overflowing. Poor guy. Hinata didn't care if he had ignored his cries out of embarrasment or something else, he was going to help him. Carefully, he slided open the courtain as much as he could without moving the boy, meeting a pair of golden, observant eyes. Were they scared or annoyed? Or simply expectant? They were clever, he knew that much.

With a reassuring smile, Hinata rolled his sleeves up and went right for it. "Here, give me your hand! You don't want to slip," he said, reaching out for the other's free hand, white and strong, with bitten nails. Like that, Hinata was able to steady him and to slide his arms around his chest from behind, pulling to help him out. "Also, how come you're dressed and the tap's open?"

"I was checking the tap when it exploaded," he finally said, looking at the former tap, with both feet on the wet floor. Hinata did the same. It looked like a fountain, but the blond boy hadn't moved a finger to fix it or, at least, close the shut-off valve. Instead, he was staring at Hinata, "Thanks."

" _No problemo_!" Hinata crouched to look for the water valve. If the flats were all the same, it should have been behind the toilet, and it was. When he pulled to close it, the water quickly stopped flowing, "There you go! I don't want to see your next water bill," he shuddered dramatically, and laughed. His sleeves were still dry when he stood up and put his hands on his hips, but his neighbour's pajamas' trousers were completely soaked. "You could call a plumber, but I know a little about plumbing, myself! Would you like me to take a look at that tap?"

A shadow of uncertainty came across the blond's face, and he moved his hands to the pocket of his trousers in an instinctive reflex, probably to grab his phone, but it was empty. Hinata waited patiently for an answer, warm grin still plastered on his face, which stretched further when the blond nodded and went to look for the tools. He began to work under his glare, which he felt in his nape, piercing and, perhaps, curious, until he turned on the phone he had just grabbed. "Are you a plumber?"

"Not at all! But my dad and I moved a lot, and the flats weren't always this pretty," Hinata explained, playing down his skills. He wasn't a genius, but a broken tap was the least he had had to deal with. He still remembered what had happened in Poland, in _that_ kitchen. "So, do you live here alone... What's your name, by the way? Mine's--"

"Shouyou, I remember," the blond said, tapping on his phone rhythmically to some cheerful Japanese song. "I'm Kenma. I don't live alone, actually."

"Are you cheating on me with the plumber, honey?" A tall man with black hair messier than Bokuto at his worst day and an amused smile entered the bathroom, almost slipping on the water in the floor. He avoided it by holding on the door frame in a very undignified way.

Hinata couldn't believe it when Kenma's mouth quirked up a little, rolling his eyes. "Don't call me that." He was visibly more relaxed than before, but he continued tapping on his phone without looking up. "It's the new neighbour, Shouyou. He offered himself to fix the tap."

With the wrench in one hand and some screws in the other, he couldn't shake his hand, so he nodded towards him, introducing himself again. The cat-like man said his name was Tetsurou Kuroo, and he asked Hinata whether offering his help to fix guys' taps was his way of flirting. When the orange-headed shook his head violently, flushing, Kuroo laughed loudly, patting his back.

Kenma and Kuroo were nice people. They really were. From then on, they encouraged Hinata to hang around their apartament casually to talk, play videogames, or just to laze around. Kuroo said he enjoyed his company, and also, that 'it was good for Kenma to meet new people,' at which the blond just gave him a cold look. More than once, Bokuto and Akaashi joined, too. And it was fun, truly fun. Hinata though he could get used to it, even if sometimes it was a little lonely around them.

They were returning home from the cinema, discussing the action film they had just seen animatedly, when Hinata's phone shook in his pocket. Well, that was weird. He didn't expect any text from his dad, he had already talked to him in the morning and promised him to call him in the evening, and his friends were right there, with him. He unblocked it, frowning at the sender of the message, but more even when he read it.

 **From:** Tooru  
**To:** Shouyou

_Hi, Shouyou! I know I was kind of a jerk to you back then, but I'm redeeming myself. ♡_  
_You'll want to thank me right away, but don't call, okay? I'll be going on a date today. With an actual boyfriend. Excitiiing! ☆☆☆_

_Talk to you later, xoxo \ >3</_

"What is it, Shouyou?" That was Kenma, always the first to notice a waver in anyone's spirits. He frowned at Hinata's phone, looking for the cause of the problem.

The ginger tilted his head to show his own confusion, but shrugged his shoulders right after that, "It's my brother, I'm sure it's nothing." It was Oikawa. It couldn't be that important. Perhaps he had bought him a puppy and sent it to him. That looked like the way he'd 'redeem himself'. They had already reached his landing, so Hinata smiled and waved his hand, "See you tomorrow, guys!"

Akaashi and Bokuto continued their way upstairs while he grabbed his keys and twisted the knob. It had been a great afternoon. The film was nice, and Kenma had showed him a new videogame he was eager to buy. Also, Kuroo had driven them to a new café, that served the best shortcake he had ever tried. With his stomach full and singing a happy tune, he hung his jacket on the coat rack, feeling like taking a long bath and relaxing... Sadly, it all was forgotten when he heard steps in his living room.

All his senses became more alert, and his movements, more silent. A thief. It had to be. Or perhaps the landlord. He had never come in when he wasn't inside the flat, but even so, there was a possibility. He should have probably called Kuroo or Akaashi to help him, but something inside him held him back. He removed his boots and left them on the floor, walking slowly on the wood. His things weren't even messy, not in the hall, at least. What an stupid thief. He kept his fists high, keeping his guard, but his hand was paralized halfway when a figure appeared in the middle of the hallway.

His flesh felt like stone, his blood like liquid hydrogen, colder than ice in Alaska. He couldn't get his eyes off him even if he tried. Nobody could radically in little more than three months, and that was, maybe, Hinata's worst and biggest problem. Kageyama looked exactly how he had left him in the airport: Slim and tall silhouette, pale skin, sharp, blue eyes which had all the existent light's monopoly. He didn't look as surprised as him, of course. More like expectant.

Hinata stepped back and leaned on the hallway's wall. Everything was woobling, or perhaps it was just his legs? Kageyama was the one who held his small world in an Atlantic effort, and Hinata felt the earthquakes from the tips of his toes to his head.

He opened and closed his mouth like a little fish, absolutely unbelieving. A former boyfriend, who should have been running in the other side of the world, had just appeared in his living room. It wasn't something that happened everyday. Maybe he was having hallutinations due to some shock. He hadn't felt that shocked when he finished to see the action film, but he clung onto the possibility that the boy had been caused by some posttraumatic stress.

"Shouyou," Kageyama said, as awkward as ever.

Hinata pinched his arm hard. He didn't disappear, he noticed. He didn't want to be that kind of people who couldn't get over their relationships and dreamt over their past lovers until they were old and grey. He pinched his arm a second time, stronger, and his vision of Kageyama stepped forward to put his hands on his arms. Hinata felt the pressure as a real thing, but it still seemed like a dream.

"You can't be here," Hinata mumbled, like he was talking to himself. His hands were fists, and he pressed them against his chest to keep all the pieces in place, "You are... I don't know. Somewhere else! This is my house, and, you are in the United States, or Great Britain, not in Australia! There aren't any Olympic runners in Australia. No, no, no."

"We'll be the first, then." Removing his hands from Hinata's arms, Kageyama let them hang on his sides. The coldness of his fingers still lingered on Hinata's skin. It was true. He was no illusion, but him. The real deal, Tobio Kageyama, the mean asshole, the amazing runner, the nice friend, the caring lover. His mind chose that moment to remember Oikawa's text, and Kageyama seemed to read his mind. "Tooru told me where you were, and I had to. I won't run if you're not by my side."

Hinata felt a longing bigger than words. It was impossible to stay away from him for long, his mind couldn't process it, his soul couldn't bear it. Without being aware, he raised his hand ever so slightly. He knew by heart the distance between his palm and Kageyama's cheek, how the other one expected to be caressed: clumsily, even roughly but daring, exchanging a knowing look.

There was nothing he wanted more than that, giving it to him, his caresses, his breathing, his life, the whole world if he asked for it. And, in his state, nervous, shaky yet persistent, like a bird whose weak wings are struggling to keep being in the air, he was sure Kageyama had noticed it. Dumb as he could be, he got him like no one else. Hinata wondered if that was love.

But could his hand follow its path towards his cheek, could his heart reach Kageyama's that simply? His guilt arose, and his anger with it. Kageyama lied to him. Hinata remembered the swirl of disgust and frustration he had made him feel, not just at Kageyama, but at himself. Could that be forgotten so easily _in the name of love_ , his ire flying away like dust in the wind?

No. He wouldn't forget. His grief wasn't that light. It was heavy, more rotund, a rock closing the grave of their relationship that he wasn't strong enough to lift. It wouldn't be fair to deal with it alone while faking happiness. His feeling of regret held him back.

Yet there he was.

There he stood, fists tight, back straight, shoulders stiff, head tilted up to face him. 'Man, this takes me back,' Hinata tought. It was like the first time they had seen each other. However, there was something far different: how warm the forget-me-nots in Kageyama's eyes were, how warm the roses in his Hinata's cheeks, and the way the stems and leaves reached for each other, tangling in a messy harmony.

Hope. Strings of hope were tied around them, pulling them close, closer. It felt very much like destiny.

"I told you I'd do it," Kageyama grunted, less tough than how he had intended it to sound, much more vulnerable.

The way he was trying despite the embarrassment, the pride, the urge to run away, made a lily bloom in Hinata's stomach. Their eyes were glued to each other's, creating a certain sense of intimacy. He could sense Kageyama's heartbeat thrumming under his skin, hear his blood flowing along with his own. Kageyama's lips were parted, and the words echoed in Hinata's mind, clear as lightning, impossible to ignore, "I promised, right?"

A rain of diamonds rolled down Hinata's cheeks slowly, like a gentle waterfall, as relief kicked in. Surprise had faded, to leave place for exhaustion and an old, tiny sparkle that came along with Kageyama's presence. Kageyama's hands, stylized and graceful like the wings of a swan, met his body abruptly, flat on their back, scorching hot. "You promised," Hinata said, muffled against Kageyama's chest.

They held each other desperately, grabbing fistfuls of cloth, skin or hair, and once the spell that had petrified them both fell, the 'I'm sorry' and 'I've missed you so much' and 'Never again' fell by their own weight. Hundreds of new promises flought by, bonds like red strings around their fingers. It was too much. Kageyama buried his face on Hinata's hair, crying loudly, and Hinata leaned his forehead on Kageyama's collarbone, his palms wary.

When the tears came to an end, a little, quirky smile grin tugged up the corners of Hinata's mouth, "And now, what?"

"I don't know." Hinata backed up to catch a glimpse of flushed face and furrowed eyebrows. It was still as scary as before, but he had missed even that face. "Don't look at me like that, dumbass!

"It's just, what the heck! You had plenty of time to think in the plane," he snapped right back, tilting his head up to pierce him with amber, mocking glare.

"Well, yeah, but I slept through it. Long trips are so boring," he retorted angrily, averting Hinata's eyes as much as he could, "Also, I decided this all of a sudden. I didn't even bring a suitcase, just..." He pointed at his backpack, half empty, lying on the sofa.

Hinata narrowed his eyes in surprise, and then in suspicion, and pressed his finger against Kageyama's chest, accusingly, a great grin parting his face. "Aren't you a big baby? Could it be that you were really eager to see me so you forgot about everything else, Tobio?"

Scarlet swirled on Kageyama's cheeks again, his face adopting his characteristical glare, terryfying. "Of course not, dumbass! Shut up!"

But Hinata had already started laughing and nothing could stop him. He knew they'd have it rough, they'd have to talk it through; however, they were together. The both of them were strong enough to lift any rock, to fly in any sky. He leaned on his tiptoes, put his arms around his neck, "You shut up," and pressed his giggly mouth against Kageyama's pouty lips.

Something told him they still had many steps to take. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~This is the end, my only friend, the end~
> 
> I really like this chapter! It's my favourite. I had fun writing about other pairings (and Bokuto and Akaashi and Kenma calling Kuroo Tetsu when they are alone) and I got a little poetic at the end and everyone is so homo, I just. It's my fault. Sigh.
> 
> Thanks to all the people who read this fic until now! And special thanks to those who commented, you are so nice and encouraging I just wanna hug you all! Hope you liked this little cliché of mine. After all, it wasn't meant going to be deep, but study Haikyuu's characters and KageHina, ofc. 
> 
> So anyway, thanks again, I'll see you around!


End file.
